Communication skills in psychiatry for undergraduate students: A scoping review

Abstract

Communication skills are paramount in all areas of medicine but particularly in psychiatry due to the challenges posed by mental health patients and the essential role of communication from diagnosis to treatment. Despite the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in different medical specialties, particularly in primary care settings, communication skills in psychiatry and their training are not well studied and are often not included in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Our paper explores the relevance of teaching communication competencies in psychiatry for undergraduate medical students. Our work focused on reviewing the methods for teaching communication skills to undergraduate students in Psychiatry. Eleven studies were selected to be included in this review. We found considerable heterogeneity among methods for teaching communication skills but also some common elements such as the use of simulated patients and providing feedback. This review has identified two models: the Calgary–Cambridge interview model and the Kolb cycle-based model. However, most studies still lack a theoretical background model. We believe that the inclusion of communication skills training in medical curricula is fundamental to teaching medical students general communication skills but also specific training on establishing adequate communication with psychiatric patients. However, more research is needed to determine the best method for training but also regarding its translation to patient care and cost-effectiveness.

unDerstandIng the cauSes of mediCation errOrs and adVerse drug evEnts for patients with mental illness in community caRe (DISCOVER): a qualitative study

“…However, the undergraduate pharmacy curriculum has less emphasis on communication skills in the context of mental healthcare (64) and some medical students report no substantive mental health content until the latter years of the degree (65). Recommendations for educational reform include strong neuropharmacology knowledge (64,66). The use of interprofessional education may help achieve this, as there are shared learning objectives which encourage collaboration and communication with the potential to improve patient safety (67).…”

Menerima dan Memaknai Diagnosis: Pengalaman Family Caregiver dalam Proses Penyampaian Diagnosis Skizofrenia

“…Beberapa family caregiver mengetahui diagnosis secara tidak sengaja, melalui sumber lain, dan menyebabkan adanya ketidakpuasaan dengan proses penyampaian diagnosis dan berhubungan dengan ketidakpatuhan terhadap program pengobatan [13]. Kemampuan mengomunikasikan diagnosis dapat mempengaruhi kualitas pelayanan pasien, kondisi fisik dan kesehatan mental pasien [14]. Namun data terkait kondisi family caregiver dari individu dengan skizofrenia ini kebanyakan berasal dari negara maju, yang kemungkinan akan berbeda kondisinya dengan negara dengan pendapatan yang lebih rendah, dimana terdapat tantangan yang berbeda terkait ketersediaan dan kualitas pelayanan medis, pendidikan dan pelayanan sosial [11].…”

Simulation-Based Education in the Artificial Intelligence Era

“…Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has been widely utilized for acquiring technical or non-technical skills in various medical fields such as internal medicine, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and surgery [ 1 ].…”