Rapid Responses to:
|
|
Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
-
![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Non uk graduates communication skills should be tested
- ted willis (21 April 2008)
-
complaints againt doctors
- irugal D M DISSANAYAKE (23 April 2008)
-
Why only non UK medical graduates?
- dr avinash aujayeb (26 April 2008)
-
Re: complaints againt doctors
- Anne Savage (26 April 2008)
-
Complaints against doctors – the role of Asperger syndrome
- Robert IJ MacDermott, Sarah J MacDermott (12 May 2008)
|
|
|||
|
ted willis, gp brigg
Send response to journal:
|
UK medical schools spend a huge amount of time and money teaching communication skills. The benefit of this in terms of improved patient satisfaction and reduced complaints is being wasted, because many doctors in the NHS who are non UK graduates have not had this training. Some form of compulsory assessment of these skills in new non uk graduates is needed, (including those from within the EU). Competing interests: clinical tutor hull york medical school |
|||
|
|
|||
|
irugal D M DISSANAYAKE, medical officer hollywood pvt hospital,australia,6009
Send response to journal:
|
Communication skills are an integral part of medical practice. In the hospital setup the shared responsibility and the communication of the same by the total care team is very important. Most patients don't understand medical jargon, so they might seek a clarification from staff other than doctors thus misinterpretation is possible. At the same time an update of important events and modification of protocols needs to be addressed with urgency. And there should be enough opportunities for a second opinion. Competing interests: None declared |
|||
|
|
|||
|
dr avinash aujayeb, ST1 Core Medical Training Queen Elizabeth Hospital Gateshead
Send response to journal:
|
I read with great interest the article above and the points it makes about the importance of communication skills which i completely agree with. However,what really incensed me is the article response that all non- Uk medical graduates should be tested separately?does ted willis mean all UK non medical graduates i.e.people who have studied in this country or not?he needs to specify that as i am from Mauritius but have spent the last 8 years being educated in this country and with my country of origin being almost quadri-lingual and my mother being an english teacher,i would like to say that i think my english is almost perfect-patients and people i meet do not believe i am from a non-english speaking country and that my interactive skills are absolutely fine.i have been assessed with numerous portfolio forms to provide sujective evidence and certainly my foreign colleagues have done so as well with a varying level of success So forgive me for not wanting to go through a compulsory test just because i am non-UK graduate.this is almost racist and verging on bigotry.Communication skills is not about talking in english properly as we all know so can it that UK medical students and UK doctors are not good at it as well?yes some studies show that international doctors are more likely to get complaints made agaisnt them but everyone needs to be treated the same hopefully such rapid responses will not be published in the future or with more specification.i demand an apology from mr ted willis Competing interests: None declared |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Anne Savage, retired N/A
Send response to journal:
|
Doctors Kinnersley and Edwards have got it wrong. Those who have the gift of the gab can get away with murder, sometimes literally. When one of my operations went very wrong it took me some time to realise that I had been comprehensively lied to by two senior consultants, so well had they chosen their words. Competing interests: None declared |
|||
|
|
|||
|
Robert IJ MacDermott, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Darent Valley Hospital, DA2 8DA, Sarah J MacDermott
Send response to journal:
|
In their recent BMJ editorial, Kinnersley & Edwards describes the correlation between poor communication skills and complaints against doctors.1 They point out that “Poor communication skills…may indicate…other cognitive problems.” It seems strange that the possible role of Asperger syndrome in this context is not explored. A previous BMJ article by Douglas linked these two issues in a flippant manner and resulted in condemnatory rapid responses and a subsequent apology but this does not mean that we should shy away from discussing the very real problems that some doctors with Asperger syndrome can face.2 The current cohort of schoolchildren with Asperger syndrome will probably receive a diagnosis and therefore help. The same is much less likely for current medical graduates. These individuals will often have excelled in exams at school, university and at postgraduate level. The effects of Asperger syndrome are on a spectrum and some doctors will have learned to overcome difficulties with communication, while others will have chosen a specialty in which communication skills are less important; often one in which attention to detail is an advantage. Some will end up in a specialty which requires communication skills that they do not possess, resulting in poor relationships with colleagues and patients, and the risk of referral to a regulatory body such as the General Medical Council or the National Clinical Assessment Service. The failure of our profession to recognise and help these individuals is shameful but probably reflects a general lack of knowledge about autistic spectrum conditions, especially in adults. The Department of Health has recently announced the funding of a study to assess the prevalence in the wider adult population and is committed to helping affected individuals whose needs are commonly unmet.3 Asperger syndrome is part of the autistic spectrum . Affected individuals have a triad of impairments: difficulty with social communication, social imagination and social interaction.4 There is ongoing debate about whether Asperger syndrome is a disability or a difficulty, representing a different cognitive style.5 Affected individuals have difficulty understanding the thoughts and emotions of others, leading to conflict. A therapeutic approach which focuses solely on communication, while ignoring other complex issues, is likely to fail. Doctors with Asperger syndrome need understanding and help when their behaviour interferes with their performance. By having succeeded in getting through medical school they have demonstrated that they are able; and able people with Asperger syndrome can learn communication strategies. We should celebrate the gifts of doctors with Asperger syndrome such as attention to detail and the ability to focus. 1. Kinnersley P & Edwards A. Complaints against doctors. BMJ 2008;336:841-842 2. Douglas C. Dr A will see you now. BMJ 2005;331:1211 3. Department of Health. Department of Health announces adult autism strategy. 2008. http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=366876&NewsAreaID=2 4. Wing L and Gould J. Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children. Journal of autism and developmental disorders 1979;9:11-29. 5. Baron-Cohen S. Is Asperger syndrome / High-functioning autism necessarily a disability? Dev Psychopathol 2000;12:489-500 Competing interests: None declared |
|||