La formazione alla relazione degli studenti di medicina. Aspetti teorici, metodologici e di ricerca applicata

The “patient centred” medicine empathizes the role of relationship and communication between physician and patient (Shorter, 1986; Mead e Bower, 2000). Teaching and learning clinical and communication skills are now recognized as essential components in medical school because they allow students to pay attention to their own emotions, attitudes and behaviour in response to specific situations (Smith, 2004; Benbassat e Baumal, 2005). Situated learning, role playing in particular, is widely adopted to foster self reflexivity in medical student (Vettore, 1996). The aim of this research is to inquire medical students’ communication style and if some dimensions affect it, in order to plan more useful training. 29 role playing are videotaped and then analysed through a small version of Roter’s Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) and Verona Network on Sequence Analysis. Then 21 role playing were linked with some questionnaires that investigate some personality dimensions. Data analysis show that students, that attended relational courses, have a patient oriented communication style. Finally empathy and clinical practice’ representation influence students’ communication style.