Evaluation of a Patient Communication Skills Training Program for Medical Physicists

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a training program designed to teach medical physicists how to communicate with patients effectively in the clinical environment. Methods and Materials: The training program was offered 3 times between 2016 and 2019. Participants were asked to rank their level of confidence in 5 categories relevant to patient communication on a 5-point Likert scale at 3 separate time points over the course of the training program. Participants were also asked to provide written responses to 5 common questions from patients at 2 separate time points, and these responses were numerically scored using the Constant Comparative Method. Competency in patient communication was assessed during simulated patient consults using a 9-element clinical competency assessment form. Changes in participants' stated level of confidence over the course of the training program and differences between faculty and residents were analyzed using the Student t test, and participants' scored responses to common questions were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results: Fifteen medical physicists participated in the training program: 6 resident physicists (4 first year and 2 second year) and 9 faculty physicists. Mean participant-stated level of confidence increased significantly across all categories (P <.05) between the first and second training intervention and between the second and third training intervention. There was no significant difference in mean participant-stated level of confidence between faculty and resident medical physicists. We observed statistically significant improvements in scored responses to common patient questions between the 2 assessment time points (P <.05). Of the 15 participants, 14 met competency assessment goals during simulated patient consults. Conclusions: The patient communication skills training program increases medical physicists' level of confidence across 5 patient communication categories and improves their responses to common questions from patients. In addition, the program can discern differences in communication competency between physicists. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.