6742 Teaching communication in paediatrics – understanding medical student confidence and competence

Objectives Communication skills are a key component of the RCPCH undergraduate curriculum for child health. Junior doctors and medical students report low confidence levels in paediatric communication.1 Our study evaluated; medical student confidence across the range of paediatric communication domains change in confidence following a paediatric placement the correlation between student confidence and competence during an assessed performance. Methods 56 medical students in their second clinical year completed a 5-point Likert communication confidence questionnaire, mapped to the RCPCH undergraduate curriculum, at the start and end of their paediatric rotation. The students completed a high-fidelity simulation with an assessed communication exercise. Communication was assessed by independent clinicians using a 5-point global rating scale and two assessment tools: the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT)2 and a locally constructed SBAR3 checklist. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS v.29. Group means were compared using t tests and correlation was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. No adjustment was made for multiple comparisons. The project was reviewed by representatives of the Joint Research Office study classification group, who determined that the study is best understood as evaluation of educational provision. Results Mean student confidence increased across all domains during their clinical placement (figure 1, p Conclusion Within our institution, communication confidence increases during paediatric clinical placement. However, there is significant variation across different communication domains. Our data suggest that students may benefit from further support in specific areas including; health promotion, communication with adolescents and writing discharge summaries. Students demonstrated a significant confidence-competence gap with poor correlation between their self-rated confidence and assessed performance in communication activities. Further work is needed to understand the reasons for this and how students can be supported to evaluate their own skills performance more accurately. Our use of structured communication assessment tools showed high levels of correlation with clinician global scores. Structured assessments may provide a mechanism for supporting students to close the confidence-competence gap we have identified. References Hughes EC, P Baker, G347(P) Communication skills with children and parents: foundation doctors' self-reported competence. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2017;102(Suppl 1):A136. Makoul G, E Krupat, C-H Chang, Measuring patient views of physician communication skills: Development and testing of the Communication Assessment Tool. Patient Education and Counseling, 2007;67(3):333–342. Powell SK, SBAR – it's not just another communication tool. Prof Case Manag, 2007;12(4):195–6.