MedEdPORTAL (Jan 2015)
Critical Synthesis Package: Rochester Communication Rating Scale
Abstract
Abstract This Critical Synthesis Package contains: (1) a Critical Analysis of the psychometric properties and the application to health science education of the Rochester Communication Rating Scale (RCRS), and (2) a copy of RCRS instrument. The RCRS is intended for use by a standardized patient during the evaluation of a second− or third-year medical student's competence with communication during a patient-provider interaction. It is a one page, easy-to-administer instrument with seemingly few training requirements. The RCRS items are intended to assess four domains of patient-centered communication linked to patient care outcomes. These domains include: (1) Physician Interest in the Patient as a Person, (2) Understanding Patient's Experience of Illness, (3) Attention to Context, and (4) Participation in Care. The scale originally had 19 items scored on a 6-point Likert-type scale. The item number was decreased to 18 by the authors as the last item contained psychosocial issues that were difficult for the standardized raters to evaluate and was therefore removed. The overall score is the mean of the individual item responses. Content validity of the RCRS is based on previous work from the Kalamazoo Consensus Statement in which seven essential elements for physician-patient communication were identified: (1) building the doctor-patient relationship, (2) opening discussion, (3) gathering information, (4) understanding the patient's perspective, (5) sharing information, (6) reaching agreement on problems and plans, and (7) providing closure. In addition, the authors also grounded the instrument's items in relevant communication factors that have been correlated with important patient care outcomes such as adherence to treatment plans, patient satisfaction, and wellbeing.
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