Improving Interpersonal Communication Skills for Future Healthcare Professionals Through Undergraduate Experiential Education in the Arts

Interpersonal and communications skills (ICS) are an ACGME core competency and key attribute of effective physicians that leads to better health outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, ICS remains an area of difficulty for many medical students and physicians; a problem that can be remedied by early and sustained opportunities for practicing communication. This long-range study investigates how a baccalaureate experience at the intersection of arts and health impacts the ICS of future healthcare professionals. A quantitative and qualitative self-evaluation of ICS skills was administered to individuals who completed Connections and are currently working in and/or enrolled in a post-graduate program in the healthcare field. Connections is a community-engaged course in which undergraduates facilitate therapeutic interactions with art for a range of patient groups. 81% of respondents reported improvements in the practice of active listening, 100% reported an increased ability to paraphrase, and 81% identified improved ability to pose open-ended questions. Overall, 76% responded that the ICS-building methods used in Connections are useful in their graduate program or career. Course structure and teaching methods are shared in this study so experiential learning practices in the arts can be replicated to provide opportunities for future healthcare professionals to build their ICS.