Communication Skills and Its Related Factors Among Medical Staff

Background: Communication skills are the main features in health care.Objectives: The current study aimed at determining communication skills and its related factors among medical staff.Methods: The current cross sectional study was conducted on ۳۰۲ medical staff of hospitals (physicians, nurses, midwives, andparamedics) in ۲۰۱۴, Hamadan city, Iran. The subjects were randomly selected from each hospital proportional to population size.Demographic information and the Burton communication skills (verbal, listening, and feedback) were completed using questionnaires.For all of the communication skills, scores ۶ to ۱۴ were low, ۱۵ to ۲۲ moderate, and ۲۳ to ۳۰ were considered high. Collecteddata were analyzed with SPSS version ۲۲ using descriptive tests, Kruskal-Wallis test, t-test, and regression analysis.Results: Subjects gained ۱۹.۲۲, ۱۷.۵۰, and ۱۹.۲۰ average of communication skills including verbal, listening and feedback, respectively.Medical staff communication skills were at moderate level. There was a significant difference between the scores of feedbackskills (P = ۰.۰۰۱) and verbal skills in different educational levels (P = ۰.۰۱۸). Also, the verbal and feedback skills in the group of midwiveswere more than those of the others (P < ۰.۰۰۱).Conclusions: The levels of communication skills among medical staff were not high. Communication skills training should bedone at the time of recruitment and for vocational retraining.