Enhancing medical students' experience of communication skills for problem based learning

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional design and learning model which is primarily student-led. The PBL process aims to address learning objectives that align with graduate outcomes of the medical program. In the preclinical years, PBL scenarios are primarily designed to provide cues for discussions focussed on the basic sciences. However, as students transition into the clinical years, they need to develop their ability to communicate with patients. Hence, we designed a PBL case with cues aimed at encouraging discussions on patient communication for pre-clinical medical students transitioning into their clinical years. Aim: To enhance student discussions on doctor-patient communication. Methods: An evaluation questionnaire comprised of close-ended items on a Likert scale and open-ended questions was given to students following the intervention. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed using Quirkos and SPSS, respectively. Results: Preliminary analyses of the data collected over the last four years about cue design and changes showed that students found the cues to be a positive change to the usual text-based case format and reported that these cues stimulated group discussions on how to communicate with patients. Discussion: Overall, students valued the cue design as a means of exploring different communication skills and doctor-patient interactions. It was a good platform for students to integrate their prior knowledge in discussions on patient communication. Conclusions: The communication skills focussed cues provided an opportunity for students to interrogate, integrate and shape their own communication skills. Additionally, it provided insight into how we can improve cue design.