۱- Introduction

۲- Related works

۳- Methods and results

۴- Discussion

۵- Conclusion and future work

References

Abstract

The benefit of reviewing personal feedback to students’ learning of clinical communication skills is well researched. Less is known about the factors that related to students’ engagement in reviewing non-compulsory online feedback, and ways to motivate their behavioural engagement. In this paper, we reported two studies in which medical students completed assessed clinical video conferencing consultations with human simulated patients via an online training platform that also provided automated and human feedback for students. In Study 1, three days after the consultation, an email with different instructional styles (autonomy-supportive, controlling or control) was sent to different groups reminding students to review their feedback. In Study 2, up to three repetitions of the same, either autonomy-supportive or controlling, emails were sent to students. Results of Study 1 revealed that students who reviewed feedback before receiving emails achieved higher assessment results and reported higher degree of autonomy to participate in the training program than the remaining students. However, the different instructional styles of the single email in this study did not significantly influence the students’ engagement differently. Study 2 results revealed that students who received controlling emails displayed higher engagement than students who received autonomy-supportive emails. Findings suggested that multiple factors might influence students’ engagement in reviewing their online feedback, and this study provided evidences of the effects of using emails to motivate students to review the feedback.

Introduction

Effective doctor-patient communication positively influences patients’ health outcomes (Schoenthaler, Kalet, Nicholson, & Lipkin, 2014; Stewart, 1995). For this reason, medical educators have paid increasing attention to medical students’ communication skills training. Clinical communication skills training programs often involve human simulated patients (SPs). These are individuals who have been trained to act as a patient in a medical situation to provide simulated face-to-face practice clinical consultations for students (Boulet, De Champlain, & McKinley, 2003). Social cognitive theory posits that incorporating feedback that facilitates students’ reflection improves their learning (Mann, 2011). For example, video recordings of the simulated clinical interactions (Roter et al., 2004), together with a checklist or assessment regarding students’ communication skills completed by the SP or instructor are effective forms of feedback that can be used for reflection (Keifenheim et al., 2015). However, the cost and logistics of running clinical communication skills training programs that include face-to-face interactions and opportunities for reflective learning often make them unfeasible (Liu, Scott, Lim, Taylor, & Calvo, 2016).