%0 Journal Article
%T Curriculum factors influencing knowledge of communication skills among medical students
%A Anders Baerheim
%A Per Hjortdahl
%A Are Holen
%A Tor Anvik
%A Ole Fasmer
%A Hilde Grimstad
%A Tore Gude
%A Terje Risberg
%A Per Vaglum
%J BMC Medical Education
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6920-7-35
%X The study design was a cross-sectional survey performed in the four Norwegian medical schools with different curricula, spring 2003. A self-administered questionnaire regarding knowledge of communication skills (an abridged version of van Dalen's paper-and-pencil test) was sent to all students attending the four medical schools. A total of 1801 (59%) students responded with complete questionnaires.At the end of the 1st year of study, the score on the knowledge test was higher in students at the two schools running communication courses and providing early patient contact (mean 81%) than in the other two medical schools (mean 69¨C75%, P ¡Ü 0.001), with students studying a traditional curriculum scoring the lowest. Their scores increased sharply towards the end of the 3rd year, during which they had been subjected to extensive patient contact and had participated in an intensive communication course (77% vs. 72% the previous year, P ¡Ü 0.01). All students scored generally lower in academic years in which there was no communication training. However, at the end of the final year the difference between the schools was only 5% (81% vs. 86%, P ¡Ü 0.001).The acquisition of knowledge regarding communication skills by medical students may be optimised when the training is given together with extensive supervised patient contact, especially if this teaching takes place in the initial years of the curriculum.Excellent communication skills are essential to medical professionalism [1]. Clinical communication is complex in nature, and both personal and curricular factors will influence how medical students master the relevant skills [2]. Basic or general communication skills are developed early in life. Theoretical knowledge about communication skills comes years later, and not through medical studies alone. Contrary to clinical procedural skills, communication skills appear to be an integral part of one's cognition [3].Communication training builds on the assumption that understandi
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/7/35