Self-assessment of Doctor-patient Communication Skills of Chinese Medical Students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Effective communication between doctors and patients can contribute to a positive therapeutic effect, better patient outcomes and satisfaction. Doctor-patient communication skills are essential skills that all medical students should acquire during their clinical training. This study aimed to explore the doctors-patient communication skills of medical students in China and the potential influence factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in WuHu City, China. Our study was a part of the teaching quality evaluation of Wannan Medical College. Medical students who were in their final year of clinical learning and have finished a series of pre-clinical training were invited to participate in the survey. 607 medical students participated in this study. Students' social demographic, work-related characteristics and doctor-patient communication skills were collected. The doctor-patient communication skills were measured using the doctor-patient Communication Behavior Scale. The influencing factors were explored by univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Compared with the reference population, medical students reported significantly higher scores in total scores for the doctor-patient Communication Behavior Scale for Medical Students.Medical students without doctor-patient communication experiences (β=-11.87, 95%CI=-17.49,-6.24, p<0.01), or without training (β=-3.72, 95%CI=-6.61,-0.83, p<0.05) reported significantly lower total scores. Conclusion: To further promote students’ doctor-patient communication skills, medical universities and colleges should offer students with more practice opportunities and corresponding training, and communication education should run throughout the whole process of medical education.