• K Ganasegeran and S A R Al-Dubai.
• International Medical School, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
• J Postgrad Med. 2014 Jan 1; 60 (1): 12-5.

ContextThe practice of medicine requires good communication skills to foster excellent rapport in doctor patient relationship. Reports on communication skills learning attitude among medical professionals are key essentials toward improving patient safety and quality of care.AimsWe aimed to determine factors affecting communication skills learning attitudes among medical residents in Malaysia.Settings And DesignCross-sectional survey, in a Malaysian public health hospital.Materials And MethodsA total of 191 medical residents across medical and surgical based rotations were included. We assessed the validated communication skills attitude scale among medical residents from different rotations.Statistical AnalysisStatistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS®) (version 16.0, IBM, Armonk, NY) was used. Cronbach's alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the scale. Descriptive analysis was conducted for all variables. Bivariate analysis was employed across the socio-demographic variables.ResultsMajority of the residents believed that communication skills training should be made compulsory in Malaysia (78.5%). Medical residents agreed that acquiring good communication skills is essential to be a good doctor. However, the majority cited time pressures for not being able to learn communication skills. Significant differences in communication skills learning attitude scores were found between Malays and Chinese.ConclusionThe majority of medical residents had a positive attitude toward communication skills learning. Socio-demographic factors influenced communication skills learning attitude among medical residents. Incorporating communicative skills modules during hospital Continuous Medical Education for medical residents is essential to cultivate communicative skills attitudes for effective doctor-patient relationship during the routine medical encounters.

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