Communication skills training in healthcare: a review of the literature

This article is based on a literature review carried out as part of a study of communication skills teaching in pre-registration nurse education in England in 2000. The rationale for the study was two-fold: the history of patient dissatisfaction with communications and information-giving in the National Health Service and concern about skills deficits in alumnae of recent educational programmes. A lack of research evaluating communications skills training was found in relation to both pre- and post-registration nursing education, and in other healthcare disciplines. Furthermore, the research that has been done is limited by methodological deficiencies in many cases. Recommendations are made concerning improved methods for future research evaluating communication skills training.