McKenzie Carly T
Dr. McKenzie is Assistant Professor and Director of Communications, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.
J Dent Educ. 2014 Oct;78(10):1388-96.
This study investigated dental students' attitudes towards communication skills instruction and clinical application and explored the impact of a one-semester course and year in school on students' attitudes, measured by the Communication Skills Attitude Scale. Demographic characteristics and self-assessment of communication skills were also analyzed. The study employed a pretest-posttest survey design combined with cross-sectional data. Participants were first- and fourth-year students at a U.S. dental school. Out of a possible 120 students, 106 (fifty-seven D1 and forty-nine D4) participated in the pretest, an 88 percent response rate; out of a possible 121 students, 115 (fifty-seven D1 and fifty-eight D4) participated in the posttest, a 95 percent response rate. In the results, D4 students consistently demonstrated less positive attitudes towards communication skills instruction and more negative attitudes regarding the importance of interpersonal skills in clinical encounters than did their D1 counterparts. A single communications course had no discernible effect on attitudes or self-assessments for either cohort. Females reported more positive attitudes towards clinical application of interpersonal skills than did males. Gender significantly interacted with two demographic variables: primary language and parent as health care professional. Female children of health care professionals reported poorer attitudes towards clinical communication skills training and application than did their male counterparts. Generally, parental occupation in health care moderated the decrease in positive attitudes over time towards clinical usefulness of communication skills. The D4 students rated their communication skills higher than did the D1 students. Students who demonstrated more positive attitudes towards communication skills training and application were more likely to say their own skills needed improvement.
本研究调查了牙科学生对沟通技能指导及临床应用的态度，并通过沟通技能态度量表探讨了一门为期一学期的课程及在校年限对学生态度的影响。同时还分析了人口统计学特征及沟通技能的自我评估情况。该研究采用了前测-后测调查设计并结合横断面数据。参与者为美国一所牙科学院的一年级和四年级学生。在可能参与的120名学生中，106名（57名D1和49名D4）参与了前测，回应率为88%；在可能参与的121名学生中，115名（57名D1和58名D4）参与了后测，回应率为95%。结果显示，与D1学生相比，D4学生对沟通技能指导的态度始终不那么积极，对人际技能在临床诊疗中重要性的态度则更为消极。对于这两个群体而言，单独一门沟通课程对态度或自我评估均无明显影响。女性对人际技能临床应用的态度比男性更为积极。性别与两个人口统计学变量存在显著交互作用：母语和父母是否为医疗保健专业人员。医疗保健专业人员的女性子女对临床沟通技能培训及应用的态度比男性子女更差。总体而言，父母从事医疗保健工作缓和了随着时间推移对沟通技能临床实用性积极态度的下降。D4学生对自己沟通技能的评分高于D1学生。对沟通技能培训及应用态度更为积极的学生更有可能表示自己的技能需要改进。
