Health-professional communication skills and competencies in Australia: An interprofessional content analysis

Purpose Effective communication is central to safe and effective interprofessional collaboration and person-centred care within healthcare systems. A significant proportion of patient complaints and adverse outcomes in Australia are related to communication issues. The aim of this study was to compare and contrast the descriptions of communication skills across nine health-professional competency standards using content analysis. Methodology Researchers from nine distinct health professions used an interprofessional methodology to extract and organise terms related to healthcare communication from professional competency standards documents. Findings Eight domains, with 31 subdomains, were identified and compared by health profession and by overall subdomain frequency. There was a lack of standardised structure for professional practice standards and frequent embedding of communication skills within other core competencies. Also common was imprecise language regarding healthcare communication requirements, and definitions of terms were often lacking. Practical implications Consistent representation of some domains and subdomains across health professions could be a precursor to the development of common communication competencies. These could serve as a benchmark for program accreditations, professional bodies, and interprofessional or healthcare communication education. Value This research adds value due to the interprofessional research method, which modelled interprofessional collaborative practice and allowed interpretation of professional competency standards through a multiprofessional lens. Limitations Nine professional competency standards were included, representing the nine professions of the researchers; therefore, some professional competency standards were not included in the analysis.