For the competency on communication skills, you maybe asked to observe a video and comment on the communication skills of the health care provider or demonstrate your communication skills in a given scenario. A checklist is usually used by the examiner for the purpose of grading. The scientific content of your communication also maybe assessed simultaneously while assessing the communication skills. Below is a simple checklist to observe and comment on the communications skills of the health care professionals.

Checklist to assess communication skills

1. Patient greeted or presence acknowledged

2. Body language showed interest and concern

3. Appropriate eye contact

4. Appropriate position between health care professional(HCP) and the patient

5. Posture of the HCP

6. Use of 'Touch' as means of communication

7. Listening Skills of HCP

8. Tone of speech

9. Rate of speech

10. Volume of speech

11. Patient allowed to speak without interruption

12. Open and closed ended questions asked to elicit information

13. Paraphrasing done

14. Responded empathetically

15. Content appropriate (while giving information)

16. Simple understandable local language (no medical jargon)

17. Responded to patient’s queries

18. Impression about overall communication

19. Suggestions for improving communication

The Kalamazoo Essential Elements of Communication skills

This is a tool widely used to teach and assess the communication skills in medical education. The 'Kalamazoo's checklist -adapted' has 7 key core competencies which are graded on a Likert scale of 1 to 5 (1=poor and 5=excellent). The 7 core competencies are

1. Builds a relationship

2. Opens the discussion

3. Gathers Information

4. Understands the patients perspective

5. Shares Information

6. Reaches agreement

7. Provides closure

Watch this video to understand good communication applying Kalamazoo's essential elements of Communication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg4BbnkBavQ

Kalamazoo's Essential Elements of Communication (Checklist)

1. Build a relationship

• Greet/Acknowledge Patient

• Use verbal and nonverbal communication skills that show interest and concern for the patient

2. Open the discussion

• Ask the patient about complaints

• Allow the patient to talk without interrupting or hurrying the patient

• Ask if there is anything else that is a cause for concern/worry

3. Gather Information

• Gather more detailed information from patients through open-ended questions

• Clarify points said by the patient by asking some specific questions or closed-ended type of questions

• Use simple local language

• Summarise the points elicited during history, so that any information can be corrected or added.

4. Understand the patient's perspective

• Ask about the patient’s personal life events and circumstances that might affect health

• Elicit history of beliefs and customs and demonstrate interest

• Assess whether the patient is comfortable with treatment and investigation plans

5. Share Information

• Explain in simple local language

• Assess if the patient has understood the problem /diagnosis

• Check if the patient has any more questions to ask

6. Reaches agreement

• Include the patient in the decision-making process

• Assess whether the patient can follow up with treatment and investigation plans

• Identify additional resources required

7. Provide closure

• Ask if the patient has questions, concerns or other issues

• Summarise/ask the patient to summarise plans until next week

• Give a follow-up date

• Tell whom to contact in case of emergency

• Acknowledge patient and close interview