Medical students’ cognitive and affective attitudes towards learning and using communication skills – a nationwide cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: We wanted to explore cognitive and affective attitudes towards communication skills among students in Norwegian medical schools.

Method: 1833 (60% response rate) medical students at the four medical schools in Norway filled in questionnaires by the end of term in May 2003. The Communication Skills Attitudes Scale (CSAS) was used for assessing affective and cognitive attitudes separately.

Results and conclusions: Medical students have positive attitudes towards learning and using communication skills. Cognitive and affective attitudes displayed different patterns. Being female and having worked in the health services before admission to the medical school predicted more positive scores both towards cognitive and affective attitudes. Having worked as a junior doctor during medical school predicted more positive cognitive attitudes. Cognitive attitudes towards communication skills did not vary significantly between year groups in any of the medical schools. Scores reflecting affective attitudes gradually fell for each year in all schools, but rose again in the final year in two of them. Implications for curriculum design are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tor Anvik

TOR ANVIK is a specialist in General Practice and a senior lecturer at the University of Tromsø. He is approved trainer for specialists in family medicine and teaches family medicine and communication skills in medical school. He has done research on patients' perspectives in general practice.

Hilde Grimstad

HILDE GRIMSTAD has experience from general practice and is an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. She teaches communications skills. Her research interests are communication skills, communication skills teaching and women's health.

Anders Baerheim

ANDERS BAERHEIM is a professor in general practice/family medicine. His research profile includes three main topics, medical education, urinary tract infection and alternative medicine.

Ole Bernt Fasmer

OLE BERNT FASMER is a specialist in psychiatry and holds a position as associate professor at the University of Bergen. He has done research in basic neurophysiology and has also published clinical studies in the field of bipolar disorders.

Tore Gude

TORE GUDE is a specialist in psychiatry and research director at the psychiatric hospital of Modum Bad. He is an associate professor at the Departement of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. He is a supervisor in psychotherapy and has done research on clinical communication and physicians' health.

Per Hjortdahl

PER HJORTDAHL is a professor of general practice and community medicine. The primary focus of his research is on continuity of care in clinical practice. He has also published in areas such as medical education, communication and modern information technology.

Are Holen

ARE HOLEN is a consultant in psychiatry. He holds a position in Behavioural Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Currently, he is Vice Dean and Dean of Medical Education at this university. The primary focus of his research is traumatic stress. He has also published in areas such as medical education, group processes and relaxation practices.

Terje Risberg

TERJE RISBERG is a professor in medical oncology at the University of Troms and a consultant at the Department of Oncology. The main topic in his research profile is connected to alternative medicine and cancer. Other interests are breast cancer and quality of life research.

Per Vaglum

PER VAGLUM is a specialist in Psychiatry and Professor at the Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo. He lectures in medical psychology and teaches clinical communication to medical students in different parts of the curriculum.