Communication skills teaching and learning in Nepal; what are medical students' perceptions and experiences? A qualitative study

Douglas, Amanda Helen, Acharya, Samita Pant and Allery, Lynne A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0890-4202 2020. Communication skills teaching and learning in Nepal; what are medical students' perceptions and experiences? A qualitative study. BMC Medical Education 20 (1) , 391. 10.1186/s12909-020-02330-y

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Abstract

Background Communication skills (CS) are vital for doctors. Indeed, as the most important element of consultations, are highly valued by patients. CS are core, teachable skills, however, have not been widely taught in South Asian medical schools, unlike their western counterparts. Patan Academy of Health Sciences, is one of the first in Nepal to have CS central to its’ aims and curriculum. CS are taught from the first weeks of medical school and re-enforced during preclinical study (first 2 years). Our study seeks to explore students’ perceptions and experiences of CS teaching in this South Asian, Nepal context. Methods This study is a qualitative evaluation of a CS course in Nepal, exploring the experiences and perceptions of participants. The study aims to also identify aspects that were helpful or not for student learning and areas for potential development. A purposive sample of twenty: second, fourth and Intern year students was selected for interview. Data were collected through audio recorded semi-structured interviews following a piloted schedule. Interview transcripts were manually coded and thematically analysed. Codes were arranged into themes and subthemes. Results The two main themes: 1. Positivity 2. Experiential learning. Results demonstrate participants’ positive perceptions of CS teaching: believing it is important, effective, relevant and valuable for personal development. Participants identified experiential learning features as valuable for CS acquisition. Intern students recognised CS relevance and requested expanding teaching to clinical years,incorporating challenging communication scenarios. Discussion This study shows that PAHS’ CS course is well perceived and valuable to learners. Experiential learning is powerful for CS development. Expansion of formal, structured CS teaching through all years in a spiral curriculum, should be considered. Violence towards doctors in South Asia is increasing. Students recognised CS teaching’s significance in addressing this. Conclusion CS teaching,still in its’ infancy in South Asia, is a pressing issue for medical educators here. Our study provides evidence it is well perceived with positive impacts in this context, particularly when employing experiential learning. Medical schools in south Asia should be encouraged to incorporate and strengthen their CS teaching curriculum.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Publisher:	BioMed Central
ISSN:	1472-6920
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	1 November 2024
Date of Acceptance:	21 October 2020
Last Modified:	10 Dec 2024 16:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/173613

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