Effectiveness of a short course in communication skills for medical doctors: Evaluation based on a one group pretest posttest design

Background: Effective communication skills are crucial in healthcare, particularly in the clinical setting where interactions often occur under high stress. This study aimed to identify the educational needs of medical doctors, design a communication skills course, and evaluate its impact on their performance at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences in 2022. Methods: A quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design was employed involving 196 participants, including medical doctors, nursing staff, and medical students. Intervention consisted of 9 h of communication skill training, containing theory/debriefs and practical group sessions with role-plays. A self-developed questionnaire assessed communication competencies before and after a three-session course focused on enhancing communication skills. Also, perceptions of medical doctors were elicited using content analysis method. Results: Pretest and posttest comparisons revealed significant improvements in several areas, notably in active listening (e.g., "Let the patient finish his/her speech without interrupting" increased from 3.40 to 4.43, P<0.001) and verbal feedback skills (e.g., "Give negative feedback at the right time" improved from 2.95 to 3.68, P=0.016). However, areas such as patient engagement and the use of visual aids showed mixed results, indicating ongoing training is necessary. Overall, participants reported high satisfaction with the course, achieving a mean score of 3.98. Furthermore, the course was deemed valuable due to its relevance to the workplace and its significant influence on performance outcomes. Conclusion: The communication skills course effectively addressed critical gaps in medical doctors’ communication abilities, enhancing their interactions with patients and colleagues. These findings underscore the importance of integrating continuous communication training into medical education to improve patient outcomes and foster collaborative team dynamics in the clinical settings. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of such training interventions.