BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Training in relationship skills relies heavily on role modeling: students observing clinicians at work. This study explored student and faculty perceptions of student learning about relationship skills in hospital and ambulatory settings. METHODS: Qualitative data from focus groups and long interviews were coded by the authors through an iterative dialogic process. Participants were 15 faculty and 35 medical students in clinical training in a New Zealand medical school. RESULTS: Teaching of doctor-patient relationship skills was highly variable, rarely explicit, and heavily dependent on role modeling. Students noted variable focus on relational skills between rotations, incongruity between preclinical training and the behaviors observed in clinical environments, and a need to discern which relational skills were facilitative. Role models who transparently shared their personal experiences of doctoring were more effective in helping students learn relationship skills. CONCLUSIONS: Role modeling alone is insufficient for helping students acquire exemplary doctor-patient relationship skills. Role models must explicitly reflect upon the complex intricacies of interacting with patients to help students understand and incorporate specific skills. Lack of transparency is a barrier to quality role modeling that may be mitigated in ambulatory, primary care settings.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Training in relationship skills relies heavily on role modeling: students observing clinicians at work. This study explored student and faculty perceptions of student learning about relationship skills in hospital and ambulatory settings. METHODS: Qualitative data from focus groups and long interviews were coded by the authors through an iterative dialogic process. Participants were 15 faculty and 35 medical students in clinical training in a New Zealand medical school. RESULTS: Teaching of doctor-patient relationship skills was highly variable, rarely explicit, and heavily dependent on role modeling. Students noted variable focus on relational skills between rotations, incongruity between preclinical training and the behaviors observed in clinical environments, and a need to discern which relational skills were facilitative. Role models who transparently shared their personal experiences of doctoring were more effective in helping students learn relationship skills. CONCLUSIONS: Role modeling alone is insufficient for helping students acquire exemplary doctor-patient relationship skills. Role models must explicitly reflect upon the complex intricacies of interacting with patients to help students understand and incorporate specific skills. Lack of transparency is a barrier to quality role modeling that may be mitigated in ambulatory, primary care settings.
Authors: Esther Giroldi; Wemke Veldhuijzen; Kristel Geelen; Jean Muris; Frits Bareman; Herman Bueving; Trudy van der Weijden; Cees van der Vleuten Journal: Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract Date: 2017-02-20 Impact factor: 3.853
Authors: Kathryn T Hall; Anthony J Lembo; Irving Kirsch; Dimitrios C Ziogas; Jeffrey Douaiher; Karin B Jensen; Lisa A Conboy; John M Kelley; Efi Kokkotou; Ted J Kaptchuk Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-10-23 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Noelle Junod Perron; Mathieu Nendaz; Martine Louis-Simonet; Johanna Sommer; Anne Gut; Bernard Cerutti; Cees P van der Vleuten; Diana Dolmans Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2014-04-14 Impact factor: 2.463