Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa; and, Department of Neurology, Universitas Hospital, Bloemfontein.
S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2021 Jun 15;63(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/safp.v63i1.5275.
Interpersonal communication skills by clinicians with patients, carers, fellow health professionals and legal professionals carry many unique challenges in practice. Whilst undergraduate training in communication helps with generic information receiving and information giving, uncomfortable and demanding speciality-specific issues in the various medical specialities are not covered during under- and postgraduate training.
The aim of this study was to determine the self-perceived competence of neurology registrars and neurologists in interpersonal communication and the need for such assessment in college exit exams. We undertook a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey by using self-administered printed questionnaires and the EvaSYS online system. Neurology registrars in training from the seven training centres in South Africa and neurologists based at the training centres and in the private sector were recruited.
We received a 62.9% response rate. One hundred and twenty-nine participants were recruited comprising 42 neurology registrars and 87 neurologists. Registrars were more commonly female, more likely to be multilingual and less likely to use translators. Undergraduate training in communication was considered insufficient, 42.9% and 39.1% for registrars and specialists respectively, and was also considered not relevant to address speciality-specific issues encountered in practice. Most training received has been by observation of others and on-the-job training. Both groups felt strongly that postgraduate training in interpersonal communication was important (registrars 95.2%, specialists 91.9%), especially when dealing with issues of death and dying, disclosing medical errors and dealing with the legal profession.
Postgraduate training of interpersonal communication as required of neurology registrars and neurologists was considered insufficient. Most training has been by observation of others or experiential by trial and error. Assessment of interpersonal communication at board exit exams will drive postgraduate training and importantly will embrace the AfriMEDS framework developed to produce the holistic doctor in South Africa.
临床医生与患者、护理人员、同行卫生专业人员和法律专业人员的人际沟通技巧在实践中带来了许多独特的挑战。虽然沟通方面的本科培训有助于接受和提供一般信息，但在本科和研究生培训中并未涵盖各个医学专业中不舒服和要求苛刻的特殊专业问题。
本研究旨在确定神经科住院医师和神经科医生对人际沟通的自我感知能力，以及在学院毕业考试中进行这种评估的必要性。我们通过使用自我管理的印刷问卷和 EvaSYS 在线系统进行了一项定量、描述性、横断面调查。我们招募了来自南非七个培训中心的神经科住院医师和培训中心和私营部门的神经科医生。
我们的回复率为 62.9%。共招募了 129 名参与者，包括 42 名神经科住院医师和 87 名神经科医生。住院医师中女性更为常见，更有可能使用多种语言，并且不太可能使用翻译。沟通方面的本科培训被认为不足，分别有 42.9%和 39.1%的住院医师和专家认为不足，并且也认为与实践中遇到的特殊专业问题无关。大多数培训是通过观察他人和在职培训获得的。两个组都强烈认为人际沟通方面的研究生培训很重要（住院医师 95.2%，专家 91.9%），特别是在处理死亡和濒死问题、披露医疗失误和与法律专业人士打交道时。
神经科住院医师和神经科医生所需的人际沟通研究生培训被认为不足。大多数培训是通过观察他人或通过试错的经验获得的。在董事会毕业考试中评估人际沟通将推动研究生培训，并重要的是，将采用为在南非培养全面医生而开发的 AfriMEDS 框架。
