Communication Training for Dental Students

Abstract

Objectives:

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a health communication workshop recently introduced at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) in enhancing dental students’ preparedness and attitude regarding communication training. Effective communication skills are essential for dentists to improve patient understanding, foster trust, and ultimately enhance treatment outcomes.

Methods:

The E4 model focuses on managing patient-dentist relationships through patient engagement, empathetic understanding, effective education, and collaborative planning and served as the foundation for the communication workshop. The workshop began in 2020 to 2021 and included a brief online module on interpersonal communication, followed by four 2-h sessions featuring presentations, video analysis, and role-play. We administered a pre- and postworkshop survey to participating third-year DDS students and advanced standing students. We conducted descriptive, McNemar test, and multiple logistic regression analyses to assess changes in students’ perceptions, and qualitative analysis of open-ended responses provided deeper insights into the workshop’s quality and interpersonal strengths and weaknesses.

Results:

Surveys from 73 of 95 third-year DDS and advanced standing respondents were matched after the workshop. The post-workshop survey showed significant improvements in students’ perception of how well the CDM curriculum prepared them to be good communicators (20.5% vs 67.1%, P < 0.001) and the adequacy of their communication skills (69.9 vs 87.7%, P = 0.04). Approximately 88% of students (n = 64) reported that the E4 model helped them improve their communication skills, with around 85% (n = 62) stating that they acquired new skills. Qualitative analysis identified common communication strengths, such as active listening and rapport building, and weaknesses, such as difficulty in concise communication and confidence issues.

Conclusions:

The health communication workshop at CDM effectively enhanced dental students’ self-perceived communication skills and preparedness for communicating with patients. Student feedback provided valuable insights for refining the workshop.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

The recommendations from this article can be used by dental training programs to enhance communication training within clinical teaching, ensuring that dental students develop strong communication skills and achieve educational competency.