Changes of physician–patient communication skills among general practitioners after intervention of targeted SEGUE training

Studies have shown that physician–patient communication is crucial in healthcare. This study investigated the level of physician–patient communication among general practitioners in a Chongqing district. Targeted training was implemented and the intervention effect of the training was analyzed. One hundred twenty-eight general practitioners were selected from 10 primary hospitals that had established relationships with our hospital using convenience sampling. A targeted training plan for physician–patient communication (PPC) was created based on the ‘set the stage,’ ‘elicit information,’ ‘give information,’ ‘understand the patient’s perspective,’ and ‘end the encounter-based communication’ (SEGUE) framework and was provided to the general practitioners for 3 months from July-September 2021. The targeted training included lectures, case studies, seminars, and interactive training via on-site teaching and online teaching modes. The PPC evaluation scale based on the SEGUE framework was used on-site to observe, score, and evaluate PPC skills for the 128 general practitioners before and after instituting the training plan. The total SEGUE score was significantly increased by 1.0 point after training compared to that before training (95% CI: 0.90–1.10; P < 0.001). Among the five SEGUE dimensions, the increase in the ‘set the stage’ (95% CI: 0.71–0.87; P < 0.001), ‘elicit information’ (0.14; 95% CI: 0.08–0.21; P < 0.001), and ‘give information’ (95% CI: 0.03–0.12; P < 0.001) were statistically significant (P < 0.05) after training. The senior physician subgroup had the most pronounced increase in total scores (1.05; 95% CI: 0.89–1.21; P < 0.001), followed by intermediate physicians (1.04; 95% CI: 0.87–1.2; P < 0.001), and junior physicians (0.92; 95% CI: 0.73–1.12; P < 0.001). The changes in the total scores among the three subgroups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). After a 3-month training program, a higher SEGUE value was to be observed on the level of clinical communication skill among general practitioners from community healthcare centers. It can be assumed that this is due to an effect of the program.