| Title: |
Developing Communication Competency in the Veterinary Curriculum. |
| Authors: |
van Gelderen, Ingrid1 (AUTHOR) ingrid.vangelderen@sydney.edu.au, Taylor, Rosanne1 (AUTHOR) ingrid.vangelderen@sydney.edu.au |
| Source: |
Animals (2076-2615). Dec2023, Vol. 13 Issue 23, p3668. 20p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*PHYSICIANS, *VETERINARIANS, *CLINICAL competence, *MEDICAL communication, *COMMUNICATIVE competence |
| Company/Entity: |
UNIVERSITY of Sydney |
| Abstract: |
Simple Summary: Effective communication skills are vital for successful veterinary practice and are a core component of veterinary programs. Veterinary schools design their programs to ensure that all veterinary graduates can demonstrate Day One competencies in clinical communication and provide evidence of this to accrediting bodies. The methods of teaching clinical communication in veterinary medicine have developed since this became a required part of the curriculum over two decades ago, and there is a growing evidence base for their effectiveness. However, validated 'best practices' for teaching and assessing 'real-world' communication competency are less well established. Here, we report three recent developments in communication skills training in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at the University of Sydney and evaluate implications with respect to curriculum design. The developments are the following: increasing the realism of simulated communications using clinical skills laboratories, embracing a focus on primary care; including telehealth delivery in communications training; and tackling the challenge of "minding the gap" when applying theory to veterinary clinical practice. We conclude that communication in the veterinary curriculum can be more engaging and effective with student-centred design, which increases the realism and authenticity of the student experience. Veterinary graduates require effective clinical communication skills for a successful transition to practice. The ways of teaching and assessing veterinary communication skills have developed and are increasingly supported by research. However, some students have difficulty applying the skills learned in a simulated consultation to working with real clients, particularly in the second part of a standard consultation, where the student communicates the reasons for their clinical decision making and assists the client's treatment decisions. The authors explore three key developments in communication skills training in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program since 2015 at the University of Sydney: (1) Workshops were designed to include communication scenarios that were contextualised in ways that embraced a spectrum of care. These were facilitated within a clinical skills laboratory, and student surveys were used to evaluate this teaching and learning activity; (2) student and facilitator perceptions of the value of online communication skills training were evaluated using surveys; and (3) perceptions of the gap between pre-clinical training and the demonstration of communication competency in authentic clinical settings were evaluated using a survey. We conclude that the communications curriculum can be made more engaging and effective by student-centred design, which increases the realism and authenticity of the student's experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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