Communication skills are important for physicians, as they are continuously in contact with human beings—patients, families, or members of healthcare teams—in various circumstances. At Universidad de los Andes' School of Medicine, these skills are a fundamental part of the curriculum and the subject of two undergraduate concentration courses. The purpose of this chapter is to present the experience of transitioning one of these courses, Communication Skills II, from face-to-face to a virtual learning environment as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the rationale behind teaching communication skills, illustrates how the course was developed and taught face-to-face, presents the challenges posed the COVID-19 pandemic, explains the transition of the course to a virtual learning environment, and concludes by offering an overview of the evaluations and perceptions of the course, as taught in the virtual environment, by those involved in it.
TopIntroduction
The School of Medicine at Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia) considers communication skills essential in the development of all medical competencies proposed in the curriculum, and consequently in the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Teachers must therefore rise to the challenge to help students develop and improve their communication skills, to become efficient and effective professionals, and, above all, to be more humane, understanding and compassionate.
The importance of teaching about communication and how to communicate to those who will ultimately perform activities to care for the health and wellbeing of others is closely related to the importance of communication itself. “Communication is a process present in physicians’ everyday labor, not only in the context of relationships with patients, families, and communities, but also when participating in team work related to administrative and educational activities, which is why the development of communication competencies is imperative in medical education” (Trujillo & Suárez, 2019). According to Bennett & Lyons, communication that is effective and adequate is a very important aspect of providing quality care, and the skills related to it have been linked to better results such as “accurate identification of patients [sic] problems; greater job satisfaction and less work stress for doctors; increased patient satisfaction, compliance and adherence with treatment; and reduced patient distress” (2011, p. 46).
In order to approach this educational challenge at the university, two undergraduate and two postgraduate concentration courses on communication skills are taught, among other strategies. In this way, the School of Medicine aims for students to gradually acquire communication competencies transversally throughout the curriculum in different moments and scenarios that are part of medical education, such as classrooms, simulation laboratories, community spaces, teaching hospitals, and out-patient centers (Trujillo & Suárez, 2019).
Regarding the curricular and pedagogical principles considered in the design and development of the concentration courses, they rely firstly on competency-based medical education (CBME) – a model adopted by the School of Medicine at Universidad de los Andes – which has been defined as “education for the medical professional that is targeted at a necessary level of ability in one or more medical competencies” (Carraccio et al., 2016, p. 645). Even though it is a challenging concept, it has been embraced by institutions and associations worldwide in an attempt to educate the best possible medical professionals who are adequately trained to work harmoniously, respectfully, and productively as members and leaders of inter-professional teams that provide the safest and most complex care available (Carraccio et al., 2016). Trujillo, Gómez, Cardozo, Moreno, & Gamba further state that CBME “promotes both individual and collaborative knowledge creation, allowing students to integrate information that will be used in different contexts and to experience learning as meaningful” (2016, p. 2).
The competencies related to interpersonal and communication skills to be developed in these courses are adapted following the Core Entrustable Professional Activities from the Association of American Medical Colleges (2014). The aims for students are to:
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Communicate effectively with patients and their families, with colleagues, and with the public in different socio-economic and cultural settings.
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Work effectively in a team, either as a member or as a leader.
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Act as a support for other health professionals.
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Keep patients' medical records updated, comprehensive and complete.
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Show sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations and situations.
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Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions and human responses to emotions.