PBL Pearl Vol 2 (#9): Communication Skills

What are some of the intangibles with PBL? We have talked about learning and how PBL seems to promote this learning. What about communication skills and malpractice? I found this article online.....PBL improves communication skills and improves patient satisfaction...after all isn't that what we strive for....to satisfy our patients?

Some excerpts from the article:

"It is well accepted that it is not quality of care, medical negligence or chart documentation that are the critical factors in whether or not patients complain, but patient dissatisfaction. The combination of a bad outcome and patient dissatisfaction means that the patient is much more likely to complain. The largest factor in patient dissatisfaction is communication breakdown."

"One USA study 23 noted that, in a general practice setting, GPs that had no malpractice claims used more statements of orientation (informing patients about what to expect and the flow of the visit), laughed and used humor more often, and used more facilitation skills (soliciting patient opinion, checking understating, and encouraging patients to talk). Their routine consultations were longer (18.3 vs 15 minutes) when compared to GPs who had received patient complaints."

Dr. Maynard Luterman