The Effect of the Educational Intervention based on the PRECEDE PROCEED Model on Patients' Satisfaction with Medical Interns’ Communication Skills

Background & objectives: Improper communication is the most common reason for patients to complain to doctors. Despite numerous interventions to teach communication skills to physicians, the effect of these interventions on patient satisfaction has not been studied or the increase in patient satisfaction has been slight. Given that conducting interventions based on theories and models of behavior change leads to increased effectiveness of educational interventions, in this paper the role of an educational intervention based on PRECEDE PROCEED model on increasing patients' satisfaction with each of the communication skills of medical interns is reported. Methods: This study was conducted as a part of a larger quasi-experimental research at internal medicine ward of Shariati Hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Applying a valid and reliable questionnaire, satisfaction rate of 242, 231, 223, and 254 patients with communication skills of 70 interns, was assessed and analyzed before, immediately, two weeks and four weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed and the strongest and weakest communication skills of the interns were determined. Results: In each of the four periods of assessment in this study, the patients' satisfaction with interns' communication skills ranged from 31 to 50 (from a whole of 70). Patients had the highest degree of satisfaction with warm, friendly, and respectful behavior of interns. Patients' least satisfaction was related to interns' skills in considering their opinions in the decision making process to diagnose and treat their medical problems. Conclusion: In this study, patients' satisfaction with interns' communication skills was medium to high. It is recommended that in order to improve interns' communication skills and to increase patients' satisfaction, interns should be provided with constructive feedback, based on the results of the satisfaction surveys.