NBOCC communication skills workshop model

Past reviews of research have shown that communication skills workshops are most effective when they are interactive, encourage participation, allow skills to be practised and allow participants to receive feedback on their performance1. A combination of these strategies is ideal and can lead to improvements in communication skills. Interactive workshops give health professionals the opportunity to practice communication techniques in a safe and supportive environment.

The NBOCC workshops have been designed around a conceptual module that incorporates learner knowledge, attitudes, and personal experience as factors influencing learner self-efficacy, which can be refined and enhanced by teaching and practice with feedback to influence communication skills. The content and style of the NBOCC workshops is based on the following principles:

• providing a rationale for communication skills training
• presenting the evidence base supporting the training approach
• providing background reading for self-study
• assessing attitudes towards the roles of health professionals and patients
• using a problem-learning-centred approach
• modelling behaviours (such as participation in role-play)
• providing a safe environment, conducive to sharing opinions
• active learning through role-play
• using participants' own skills and experience in role-playing
• emphasising self review and constructive feedback.

References

1. Razavi D, Merckaert I, Marchal S, Libert Y. How to optimise Physicians' Communication Skills in Cancer Care: Results of a Randomised Study Assessing the Usefulness of Post-training Consolidation Workshops. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2003;Vol 2 (26);3141-3149.

Print preview

Organising your own workshop

For more information on organising your own communication skills training workshop click here.