Understanding the patient: A neglected aspect of medical education

Abstract

Abstract It is widely accepted that ability to understand the patient is an essential feature in the establishment of good rapport and effective doctor/patient communication. A review of the literature is presented which suggests that many patients are dissatisfied with their doctor's ability to communicate effectively with them, and it is therefore necessary to train medical students in interpersonal communication skills. Data are presented which indicate that the ability of medical students to respond with accurate empathy in the interview situation is at a minimum level, and that levels of performance do not improve as they progress through the undergraduate course. A training programme, designed to teach the skills of empathy, is described and results indicating its effectiveness are presented. It is concluded that such communication skills training should be incorporated into the undergraduate medical curriculum.