World Journal of Dentistry

Register      Login

SEARCH WITHIN CONTENT

FIND ARTICLE

Volume / Issue

Online First

Archive
Volume  15 (2024)
Volume  14 (2023)
Volume  13 (2022)
Volume  12 (2021)
Volume  11 (2020)
Volume  10 (2019)
Volume  9 (2018)
Volume  8 (2017)
Volume  7 (2016)
Volume  6 (2015)
Volume  5 (2014)
Volume  4 (2013)
Volume  3 (2012)
Volume  2 (2011)
Volume  1 (2010)
Related articles

VOLUME 10 , ISSUE 6 ( November-December, 2019 ) > List of Articles

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Ensuring Student Competence in Essential Dental Consultation Communication Skills for Patient Care: Developing, Validating and Piloting a Comprehensive Checklist

Sunila B Sangappa, Thomas V Chacko, Shital Bhandary

Keywords : Assessment tool, Checklist development, Competency, Dental communication checklist, Dental consultation, Dentist–patient interaction, Validation

Citation Information : Sangappa SB, Chacko TV, Bhandary S. Ensuring Student Competence in Essential Dental Consultation Communication Skills for Patient Care: Developing, Validating and Piloting a Comprehensive Checklist. World J Dent 2019; 10 (6):413-421.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10015-1677

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-12-2016

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2019; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aim: Ability to communicate effectively as a core competency for dental practitioners is deemed important for a patient-centered practice. This study aims to pilot the process of developing and using a comprehensive checklist for ensuring student competence in essential dental consultation communication for patient care. Materials and methods: A total of 87 third-year dental undergraduate students’ videotaped patient interviews were independently rated by six raters to evaluate the psychometric properties of the developed Dental Consultation Communication Assessment Checklist (DCCAC). Students were given training in basic consultation communication skills and patient interview techniques according to the developed DCCAC. Improvement in communication was assessed in pre-intervention and post-intervention using the checklist for giving feedback on performance of real patient examination. Results: The majority of faculty (84%) and patients (93%) gave positive feedback (satisfaction) on the process and 87% of the students’ feedback indicated they would use their learning regarding communication skills in the future (transfer to practice). This comprehensive tool was found to be highly reliable with internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.987. Construct validity of the tool was examined through principal components analysis with varimax rotation. Based on the principal component analysis, new extracted domains demonstrated very high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha range = 0.975–1.00). Conclusion: The product arising from the development and psychometric testing of DCCAC for undergraduate dental students has the potential to be used as a valid tool to assess clinical competence during a patient interview and provide specific and formative feedback/self-reflection for consciously improving performance during the next patient encounters. Self-reflection during formative years will also make them reflective practitioners engaging in continuing professional development (CPD) in the future. Clinical significance: The DCCAC developed by us would ensure that dental graduates will be competent in dental consultation communication and use the habit of self-reflection to engage in CPD to improve the quality of patient-centered care.

PDF Share
  1. Maguire P, Pitceathly C. Key communication skills and how to acquire them. BMJ 2002;325(7366):697–700. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.325.7366. 697.
  2. Wener ME, Schönwetter DJ, Mazurat N. Developing new dental communication skills assessment tools by including patients and other stakeholders. J Dent Educ 2011;75(12):1527–1541.
  3. Yoshida T, Milgrom P, Coldwell S. How do U.S. and Canadian dental schools teach interpersonal communication skills? J Dent Educ 2002;66(11):1281–1288.
  4. Hargie O, Dickson D, Boohan M, et al. A survey of communication skills training in UK schools of medicine: present practices and prospective proposals. Med Educ 1998;32(1):25–34. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2923.1998.00154.x.
  5. Theaker E, Kay E, Gill S. Development and preliminary evaluation of an instrument designed to assess dental students’ communication skills. Br Dent J 2000;188(1):40–44. DOI: 10.1038/sj.bdj.4800382.
  6. Rider EA, Hinrichs MM, Lown BA. A model for communication skills assessment across the undergraduate curriculum. Med Teach 2006;28(5):e127–e134. DOI: 10.1080/01421590600726540.
  7. Haak R, Rosenbohm J, Koerfer A, et al. The effects of undergraduate education in communication skills: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Eur J Dent Educ 2008;12(4):213–318. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2008.00521.x.
  8. Hottel TL, Hardigan PC. Improvement in the interpersonal communication skills of dental students. J Dent Educ 2005;69(2):281–284.
  9. Logan HL, Muller PJ, Edwards Y, et al. Using standardized patients to assess presentation of a dental treatment plan. J Dent Educ 1999;63(10):729–737.
  10. Johnson JA, Kopp KC. Effectiveness of standardized patient instruction. J Dent Educ 1996;60(3):262–266.
  11. Kopp KC, Johnson JA. Checklist agreement between standardized patients and faculty. J Dent Educ 1995;59(8):824–829.
  12. Sangappa SB, Tekian A. Communication skills course in an Indian undergraduate dental curriculum: a randomized controlled trial. J Dent Educ 2013;77(8):1092–1098.
  13. Wynd CA, Schmidt BA, Schaefer MA. Two quantitative approaches for estimating content validity. West J Nurs Res 2003;25(5):508–518. DOI: 10.1177/0193945903252998.
  14. Kurtz S, Silverman J, Benson J, et al. Marrying content and process in clinical method teaching: enhancing the Calgary-Cambridge guides. Acad Med 2003;78(8):802–809. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-200308000-00011.
  15. Assessment of communication skills among dental students: a narrative review. Available at http://kateamos.com/assessment-of-communication-skills-among-dental-students-a-narrative-review/.
  16. Carey JA, Madill A, Manogue M. Communication skills in dental education: a systematic research review. Eur J Dent Educ 2010; 14(2):69–78. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0579.2009.00586.x.
  17. Schirmer J, Mauksch L, Lang F, et al. Assessing communication competence: a review of current tools. Fam Med 2005;37(3):184–192.
  18. Regehr G, MacRae H, Reznick R, et al. Comparing the psychometric properties of checklists and global rating scales for assessing performance on an OSCE-format examination. Acad Med 1998;73(9): 993–997. DOI: 10.1097/00001888-199809000-00020.
  19. Schonwetter DJ, Wener ME, Mazurat N. Determining the validity and reliability of clinical communication assessment tools for dental patients and students. J Dent Educ 2012;76(10):1276–1290.
  20. Silverman JD, Kurtz SM, Draper J. Skills for Communicating with Patients, 3rd ed. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing; 2013.
  21. Lynn MR. Determination and quantification of content validity. Nurs Res 1986;35(6):382–385. DOI: 10.1097/00006199-198611000-00017.
  22. Al Odhayani A, Ratnapalan S. Teaching communication skills. Can Fam Physician 2011;57(10):1216–1218.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.