Patient Communication Skills among Students of Medicine

Background & aim: Effective patient communication skills are crucial for quality healthcare delivery by medical students and professionals. Communication can be defined as the process of exchanging information or the process of creating and conveying concepts. A more comprehensive definition of communication is the process of transferring a message from sender to receiver, conditioned on the content being conveyed from sender to receiver, or vice versa. The interpretations that can be made from this definition are that firstly, communication is a type of process (۱), communication takes place in both verbal and non-verbal forms. Verbal communication involves exchanging information using words, which includes written and spoken words. Non-verbal communication includes physical responses such as facial expressions, hand gestures, movements, and eye contact, which may or may not accompany speech, influencing the meaning of what we say. Non-verbal linguistic signs make our emotions and attitudes towards others evident. Sometimes, this method is also referred to as body language. In general, it is believed that non-verbal communication expresses the true meaning of the message better than verbal communication (۲). Therefore, doctors and medical staff must effectively convey both components in communication according to the patient's language and cultural conditions in order to have optimal performance. Communication skills refer to behaviors that help individuals accurately express their emotions and needs (۳). This study aims to assess patient communication skills among students of medicine.

کلیدواژه ها:

Patient communication skills ، Medical students ، Healthcare delivery ، Verbal communication ، Non-verbal communication