A Needs Assessment for a Communication Skills Curriculum in Iran

Abstract

Background: Although communication skills have been observed as a crucial element in the delivery of high-quality medical care, the emphasis given to them within medical education in Iran is severely limited, and the state of such teaching is unknown in many other countries. Purpose: This exploratory study investigated the views and experiences of medical education course planners in Iran with respect to the current status of communication skills training within Iranian medical schools. Method: The findings are based on the in-depth interviews with Iranian medical course planners. Results: The findings demonstrate that there is a deep concern about the lack of communication skills training within the Iranian medical curriculum. Medical students' acquisition and use of communication skills is consistently poor. Furthermore, medical litigation can then result from poor communication skills among medical students. Both positive and negative attitudes toward integrating communication skills into the medical curriculum were revealed. Conclusion: There is a real need to integrate communication skills into Iranian medical education with due attention to ethnical and religious issues. Some recommendations are made, and the limitations of the study are discussed.