A practical guide for teachers of communication skills: A summary of current approaches to teaching and assessing communication skills

E #64256;ective communication between doctor and patient is a central clinical function that cannot be delegated.(1)The important role of doctorpatient communication in the consultation isnow widely accepted. There is substantial research evidence to support the viewthat good communication skills have far-reaching bene #64257;ts including enhancedpatient satisfaction, symptom resolution and improvements in functional andpsychological status.(24) A considerable amount of research has identi #64257;ed whatconstitutes good communication skills and how these skills are best taught.(1,59)Medical practitioner licensing authorities worldwide have recommended thatcommunication skills training becomes an integral part of undergraduatemedical education.(1012) For example, the Irish Medical Council states that:E #64256;ective and sensitive communication with patients, relatives and colleagues isan important component of the management of clinical problems. Systematictraining is needed to develop these skills (10)A di #64259;culty for the current generation of communication skills teachers is thatmany of us have not had the experience of being formally taught communicationskills ourselves. The purpose of this paper is to serve as a practical guide forthose involved in the design and delivery of communication skills programmes.It summarises the main #64257;ndings from the current literature with particularemphasis on teaching and assessing communication skills at an undergraduatelevel