The Effect of Communication Skills Training through Video Feedback Method on Interns' Clinical Competency

Introduction: There are methodological challenges on the subject of communication skills training despite general agreement on its advantages. This study was performed to compare the effect of communication skills training through video feedback with the usual method of lecture. Methods: This quasi-experimental double-blind prospective study was performed on two groups of 20 interns in the year 2005 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. First, both groups received education through lecture and immediately were tested by OSLER (Objective Structured Long Examination Record). Then the video feedback was played for the experiment group. Two months later, the same examination was performed for the both groups. The result was analyzed by SPSS software using Mann–Whitney, Wilcoxon, and chi² tests. Results: No significant difference was observed between two groups considering gender, age, and the number of internship months. Scores achieved on OSLER-I revealed no significant difference between the two groups but, the discrepancy in OSLER-II was significant. The difference between scores of OSLER-I and OSLER-II was significant in the experiment group and insignificant in the control group. A significant difference was discovered in history-taking skill, physical examination, diagnosis, and treatment, before and after participation in the workshop in the experiment group. Conclusion: Communication skills training through video feedback improved interns' skills for history-taking and physical examination. It also enhanced the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. Emphasizing on necessity of communication skills training, it is also recommended to pay attention to advantages of video feedback method as an educational approach.