Integrating communication skills and history-taking

Abstract

In 1996 a community-based attachment was introduced in Leeds for third year medical students, to help improve their interaction with patients in the patients' own environment. The introductory session aims to help students integrate the communication skills they learnt in second year with the 'history taking' skills they use in third year to improve their consultation skills.With the help of simulated patients,students begin to understand the importance of eliciting the patient's story, as well as medical symptoms. In this session the students realise that it is important to discuss personal and emotional topics with patients in order to understand the medical problem and that negotiation with the patient helps to improve the outcome of the consultation.The structure of the session is outlined, and the students' evaluation discussed.