Enhancing Communication Competence in Healthcare: The Impact of a One-Day Adventure-Based Experiential Learning Program.

Introduction Effective communication is essential in healthcare, directly influencing patient safety, clinical outcomes, and team collaboration. Yet, traditional training approaches often fall short in delivering the practical skills required for high-pressure clinical environments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a one-day adventure-based experiential learning (AEL) program in enhancing communication competence among healthcare professionals. Methods A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital with 500 healthcare professionals. The study was conducted at a private tertiary care teaching hospital in Chennai, India, over three months from May to July 2024.Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=250, 50%) that completed a one-day AEL program or a control group (n=250, 50.0%) that received standard communication training. The sample included physicians (n=158, 31.6%), nurses (n=202, 40.4%), and allied health professionals (n=140, 28%). Gender distribution included 225 male (45%) and 275 female (55%) participants. Ages ranged from 23-30 years (n=175, 35%), 31-40 (n=195, 39.0%), 41-50 (n=95, 19%), and over 51 (n=35, 7%). Communication competence was measured using the Communicative Adaptability Scale (CAS), which evaluates six communication domains. These dimensions of interpersonal communication competence include social experience (comfort in varied social interactions), social confirmation (ability to validate and support others), social composure (management of anxiety and confidence in interactions), appropriate disclosure (judgment in sharing personal information), articulation (clarity and fluency in verbal expression), and wit (use of humor to facilitate communication). Each domain is measured using a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater communicative competence. Paired t-tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to assess outcomes, and effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Results Post-intervention, the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in five of the six CAS dimensions. The most substantial gains were observed in social composure (d=0.85, large), social experience (d=0.82, large), and social confirmation (d=0.78, large), indicating strong practical significance (p<0.001 for all). The overall CAS score improved by 11.8% in the experimental group (from 3.47 to 3.88), compared to only 0.9% in the control group (from 3.45 to 3.48). ANCOVA analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the intervention, adjusting for baseline equivalence. Conclusion AEL is an effective strategy for enhancing communication competence in healthcare professionals. The program's immersive and collaborative format improved the confidence, clarity, and adaptability of the participants. These findings support the integration of AEL into both medical education and professional development to strengthen interprofessional communication and improve patient care.