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A Model for Enhancing the Verbal Communication Skills for Physician-Patient Communication of Medical Students at the Medical University-Sofia Based on a Needs Analysis

Received: 11 February 2019     Accepted: 23 April 2019     Published: 23 May 2019
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Abstract

Enhancing future physicians’ communication skills represents a central problem of medical education. Communication experts have reached consensus on the stages of medical communication, on a key set of communication skills, and helped decisions on the communication curricula of medical schools. Adequate language techniques for physician-patient communication are proposed by the Clear writing and plain language campaign. However, a needs analysis is obligatory in planning and designing communication training for the concrete students. The present study is conducted with the medical students at the Medical University-Sofia, Bulgaria. The comparative analysis of the survey results of undergraduate and graduate respondents reveals students’ growing understanding of the factors, problems and importance of physician-patient communication, increasing willingness and readiness to enhance verbal communication skills as well as a preference for the teaching methods of role play in a realistic context. To meet the medical students’ needs, a Model for enhancing the verbal communication skills of future physicians has been proposed, based on the stages of medical communication and language techniques for the communication between medical professionals and patients. The Model is assessed by experts as an adequate tool to improve future physicians’ communication skills and to help increase the quality of patient health care and patient satisfaction. The researchers recommend that the Model to enhance medical students’ verbal communication skills should be included in the communication training curriculum of the Medical University-Sofia.

Published in Education Journal (Volume 8, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15
Page(s) 75-88
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2019. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Verbal Communication Skills, Needs Analysis, Medical Students

References
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  • APA Style

    Kristina Hristova Stoyanova, Ekaterina Rumenova Hartmann, Evgeni Gospodinov Ivanov, Alexandrina Tzecomirova Vodenitcharova, Nikola Rumenov Georgiev, et al. (2019). A Model for Enhancing the Verbal Communication Skills for Physician-Patient Communication of Medical Students at the Medical University-Sofia Based on a Needs Analysis. Education Journal, 8(2), 75-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15

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    ACS Style

    Kristina Hristova Stoyanova; Ekaterina Rumenova Hartmann; Evgeni Gospodinov Ivanov; Alexandrina Tzecomirova Vodenitcharova; Nikola Rumenov Georgiev, et al. A Model for Enhancing the Verbal Communication Skills for Physician-Patient Communication of Medical Students at the Medical University-Sofia Based on a Needs Analysis. Educ. J. 2019, 8(2), 75-88. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15

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    AMA Style

    Kristina Hristova Stoyanova, Ekaterina Rumenova Hartmann, Evgeni Gospodinov Ivanov, Alexandrina Tzecomirova Vodenitcharova, Nikola Rumenov Georgiev, et al. A Model for Enhancing the Verbal Communication Skills for Physician-Patient Communication of Medical Students at the Medical University-Sofia Based on a Needs Analysis. Educ J. 2019;8(2):75-88. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15,
      author = {Kristina Hristova Stoyanova and Ekaterina Rumenova Hartmann and Evgeni Gospodinov Ivanov and Alexandrina Tzecomirova Vodenitcharova and Nikola Rumenov Georgiev and Bistra Dragomirova Dudeva},
      title = {A Model for Enhancing the Verbal Communication Skills for Physician-Patient Communication of Medical Students at the Medical University-Sofia Based on a Needs Analysis},
      journal = {Education Journal},
      volume = {8},
      number = {2},
      pages = {75-88},
      doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20190802.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20190802.15},
      abstract = {Enhancing future physicians’ communication skills represents a central problem of medical education. Communication experts have reached consensus on the stages of medical communication, on a key set of communication skills, and helped decisions on the communication curricula of medical schools. Adequate language techniques for physician-patient communication are proposed by the Clear writing and plain language campaign. However, a needs analysis is obligatory in planning and designing communication training for the concrete students. The present study is conducted with the medical students at the Medical University-Sofia, Bulgaria. The comparative analysis of the survey results of undergraduate and graduate respondents reveals students’ growing understanding of the factors, problems and importance of physician-patient communication, increasing willingness and readiness to enhance verbal communication skills as well as a preference for the teaching methods of role play in a realistic context. To meet the medical students’ needs, a Model for enhancing the verbal communication skills of future physicians has been proposed, based on the stages of medical communication and language techniques for the communication between medical professionals and patients. The Model is assessed by experts as an adequate tool to improve future physicians’ communication skills and to help increase the quality of patient health care and patient satisfaction. The researchers recommend that the Model to enhance medical students’ verbal communication skills should be included in the communication training curriculum of the Medical University-Sofia.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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Author Information
  • Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

  • Department of Language Training and Sports, Medical University-Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

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