Undergraduate Category: Health Science Degree Level: Bachelor of Science Abstract ID# 1296
Applica'on of Health Communica'on Skills by Former Health Science Students in Clinical Post-‐Graduate Programs: A Phenomenological Study Abstract • This research proposes a phenomenological perspecFve to determine if the skills and knowledge former health science students learned in Northeastern University’s CommunicaFon Skills for the Health Professions (CSHP) course are being implemented and reinforced in post-‐graduate clinical programs. • This study will further examine how these students view their ability to recall and apply the core concepts learned in the CSHP course during their post-‐graduate clinical experiences. • Our hypothesis is that students currently enrolled in post-‐ graduate clinical programs will feel beRer prepared to effecFvely communicate with paFents than their peers who did not take this course.
Principle Inves'gator: Dr. Pauline Hamel, Ed.D., PT Inves'gator: Stephanie Santana, BS/MPH Candidate, 2016 Bouvé College Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University Methods • Surveys were distributed electronically through email and data will be collected, stored, and analyzed digitally through an online server to evaluate data trends and quesFon summaries.
Conclusions Preliminary findings from this study report: • The importance of reinforcing the concepts of health literacy, the lifespan approach, and cultural competency in post-‐graduate clinical programs • The success of CommunicaFon Skills for the Health Professions course as the majority of parFcipants felt beRer prepared to effecFvely communicate with paFents than their peers a[er having taken the undergraduate course • The successful applicaFon of health literacy and cross-‐cultural communicaFon by parFcipants clinical experiences • The need to reevaluate the way the lifespan approach is presented to students to have a similar long-‐lasFng impact as the other concepts taught in the course
Background • Research shows that there is a divide between providers and their paFents that stems from the inability to communicate effecFvely. • Differences within paFent populaFons such as diverse in culture, literacy, and age can become potenFal barriers to receiving good healthcare when miscommunicaFons lead to negaFve outcomes, including medical errors that could result in death. • Northeastern University’s (NU) Bouvé College undergraduate course, CommunicaFon Skills for the Health Professions (CSHP), provides a foundaFon for future healthcare providers to bridge the gap between diverse paFent populaFons and effecFve healthcare. • However, once these students enter clinical post-‐graduate programs, it is unknown if the concepts learned in this undergraduate course are applied and reinforced.
Results Figure 1:
References
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Goals • To invesFgate the applicaFon of skills learned in CommunicaFon Skills for the Healthcare Professional in clinical post-‐graduate programs • To gain insight into whether previous health science students enrolled in clinical post-‐graduate programs feel beRer prepared to communicate with paFents than their peers • To examine if core course concepts from CommunicaFon Skills for the Healthcare Professional are reinforced in clinical post-‐ graduate programs. • To determine the areas for course adaptaFon in order to beRer prepare current students wishing to enter clinical post-‐ graduate programs.
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Acknowledgements Sincere thanks to the Principle InvesFgator and Faculty Mentor Dr. Pauline Hamel, Faculty Advisor Dr. Patricia Case, and ParFcipants for their contribuFons to this research