Course: Communication Skills for Challenging Medical Situations

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Course title Communication Skills for Challenging Medical Situations
Course code HEO/VC061
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Exercise
Level of course Master
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 2
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory-optional
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Faber Edgar, prof. MUDr. CSc.
  • Papajík Tomáš, prof. MUDr. CSc.
  • Procházka Vít, prof. MUDr. Ph.D.
  • Mišelnická Jana, Mgr.
  • Bodnár Vojtěch, MUDr.
  • Hálek Jan, MUDr. Ph.D.
  • Turcsányi Peter, MUDr.
  • Wita Martin, MUDr.
  • Medová Nikola, Mgr. PhD.
  • Volková Vanda, MUDr.
  • Lasák Jakub, MUDr.
Course content
The course is composed of the two parts - a) theoretical (180 min session) where the students will be provided with introduction to communication in medically difficult situations, b) with the legal framework of medical communication in terms of the Czech legislature, and c) will get examples of the communication practices both on video and in person. Instructors will provide several role-play scenarios showing interaction between the medical staff and patients and/or family members. The second session (180 min) will be a more engaging one - students will be given predefined scenarios and will practice through role play in pairs. Their conversations will be closely observed, and the instructors will provide detailed feedback. There will be also a class debriefing of all communication pairs in the end and students will be provided by standardized evaluation document for their further usage.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Lecture, Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Observation, Demonstration
Learning outcomes
The course is framed as a "flipped classroom" - resources and information will be provided to students well in advance before in-person sessions start, and students will be expected to fully comprehend the information before the respective class sessions. This theoretical knowledge will be applied in practical interactive classroom activities. In the first session students will learn how to analyze and provide structured assessment of video documented real-life communications between doctors and patients. In the second session, students will develop their own skills through role-modeling challenging communication situations - i.e., working in teams and pairs with provided communication scenarios.
After completing the course students will be able to implement the obtained knowledge into the practical approach to patients.
Prerequisites
Good communication skills, active-learning participation. Self-learning of the basic sources provided in advance.
IN2/VCA22 and IN2/VCB22

Assessment methods and criteria
Dialog, Systematic Observation of Student

Full attendace to both theoretical and practical part, active communication in the student-student communication training.
Recommended literature
  • Haškovcová, H. (2002). Lékařská etika. Praha: Galén.
  • Vymětal, J. (2003). Lékařská psychologie. Praha: Portál.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2019) Category: Medical sciences 3 Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2018) Category: Medical sciences 3 Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2021) Category: Medical sciences 3 Recommended year of study:3, Recommended semester: -