Simulated Patient-Based Communication Skills Training for Undergraduate Medical Students at a University in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Educational strategies following interactive methods of teaching enhance communication skill acquisition of medical students. However, which method of interactivity results in the most compelling communication skill improvement is the prime question yet unanswered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, experimental study design was employed among pre-clerkship II medical students of Jimma University, in the 2017/18 academic year. Accordingly, study participants were grouped in to two arms randomly. Arm 1 students were trained using simulated patients in a skill development lab and arm 2 students were trained using case-based role-plays. Both forms of training lasted for 20 hours and focused on 7 important communication skill dimensions key to patient care tasks, as adapted from the Kalamazoo II Report. An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) form of assessment with a standardized checklist was utilized to investigate communication skill acquisition. RESULTS: In this study a total of 60 medical students was assessed for communication skills via 12 SP-based OSCE stations. This study discerned that, out of the total students, 21 (35.0%) were found to be poor at listening effectively. Similarly, 19 (31.7%), 18 (30.0%) and 16 (26.7%) were rated as poor at demonstrating caring and respectful behaviors, building and maintaining a therapeutic relationship and making informed judgments based on client data and preferences, respectively. Furthermore, the modalities of communication skill training are associated with key communication skill competencies except for eliciting information with effective questioning skills and counseling and educating patients. Thus, the SP-based training approach was found to be significantly associated with communication skill acquisition as compared to the case-based role-play approach, with AOR 21.696 at a p-value of <0.001. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was concluded that an SP-based communication skill training approach is superior to a case-based role-play approach.