Maximizing the acquisition of core communication skills at the start of medical training

Figures & data

Figure 1 Diagrammatic summary of study methods.

Table 1 Simulated patient interview scores: average scores shown for both the study group and control group across all assessed domains

Interview domain	Control group avg. score	Study group avg. score	p-Value	Adjusted p-value (Bonferroni correction)
Introduction (max score 2)	1.50	1.86	0.0877	0.614
Information gathering (max score 4)	2.86	2.93	0.825	5.775
Exploring patient’s perspective (max score 3)	2.14	2.50	0.306	2.142
Non-verbal communication (max score 4)	3.36	3.29	0.823	5.761
Process techniques (such as signposting and interim summaries) (max score 3)	1.57	1.64	0.825	5.775
Closure (max score 4)	2.36	2.50	0.702	4.914
Total (max score 20)	13.9	15.1	0.291	2.037

Table 2 Themes arising from thematic analysis of focus group transcript

Benefits of real patient contact	Simulated vs real	Organizational barriers
Building confidence	Feedback	Hospital staff as gatekeepers
Naturalizing communication	Skill acquisition	Timing
Talking to “Difficult” patients	Biopsychosocial