Should skills in communicating with patients be taught in medical schools?

Abstract

Doctors' skills in communication affect the adequacy of their clinical interviews, their patients' satisfaction, recall of offered advice, compliance, and the impact of potentially distressing medical and surgical procedures. Yet traditional clinical courses do not include formal teaching in these skills and several reasons probably account for this. Recent research has demonstrated that training in communication skills is both feasible and effective. It should become an integral part of medical education.