The neglect in the diagnostic process of Chinese doctors – Communication and interpersonal skills

Dear Sir

Poor communication between patient and doctor and lack of interpersonal skills is known to increase the risk of doctor-patient ineffectiveness and poor health outcomes (Ha & Longnecker 2010). In recent years, Chinese doctors have been paying more attention to improving medical conditions and continuing to overcome various difficult and complicated diseases, but so far, the strained doctor-patient relationship still exists in some places. Some patients are not satisfied with their access to treatment and experience poor doctor-patient communication. Communication and interpersonal skills are easily neglected by doctors in the diagnostic process.

In a letter (Wen et al. 2013) Wen and colleagues demonstrated, through their use of a Chinese-validated version of the Jefferson Empathy Scale, that three factors were lacking in their graduating Chinese doctors: placing patient care within the right context; being compassionate; and an ‘‘ability to stand in the shoes of the patient’’, and these elements were most prominent in paediatricians. Despite this important piece of internal research, little change has occurred to national curricula to rectify this situation and little has changed in assessing the ability of graduating doctors to work in the real world of healthcare. If China is to produce doctors that can cope with the expanding population of elderly patients, can care for the increasing number of patients with co-morbid chronic health conditions and can address the need for a complimentary non-medical approach to care, it must change its approach to the teaching, learning and assessment of communication and interpersonal skills.

Recent times have sadly seen the murder of several doctors within the Chinese mainland by relatives of very ill or dead patients, who clearly had not understood many of the issues related to patient care, no doubt related to poor communication and interpersonal relationships. This is perhaps another and more serious reason to improve these skills in all Chinese graduates and for all assessing bodies within China, including medical schools is to re-address their procedures.

Notice

This letter has been withdrawn and republished with revisions since its original early online publication date (4^th August).