Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Patient Education and Counseling. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Patient Education and Counseling, 99, 11, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.05.019
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Available under license: CC BY-NC-ND: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Attachment styles and clinical communication performance in trainee doctors
AU - Fletcher, Ian John
AU - McCallum, Rachel Fiona
AU - Peters, Sarah
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Patient Education and Counseling. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Patient Education and Counseling, 99, 11, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.05.019
PY - 2016/11
Y1 - 2016/11
N2 - ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between trainee doctors’ attachment style and their performance in qualifying clinical and communication skills assessments.MethodsParticipants were 190 undergraduate medical students whose performance was assessed by examiners across two areas (communication and clinical skills) during their qualifying Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Simulated patients also rated communication skills. Participants’ attachment style was rated across two dimensions, avoidance and anxiety, with the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ).ResultsLower levels of attachment avoidance and anxiety were significant predictors of higher performance in both communication and clinical skills.ConclusionTrainee doctors’ attachment styles are associated with patient communication and clinical performance. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of attachment on consultations between doctors and patients within clinical settings.Practice implicationAttachment theory can inform our understanding why, for some student doctors, interacting with patients may be particularly challenging and require additional support by medical educators.
AB - ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between trainee doctors’ attachment style and their performance in qualifying clinical and communication skills assessments.MethodsParticipants were 190 undergraduate medical students whose performance was assessed by examiners across two areas (communication and clinical skills) during their qualifying Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Simulated patients also rated communication skills. Participants’ attachment style was rated across two dimensions, avoidance and anxiety, with the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ).ResultsLower levels of attachment avoidance and anxiety were significant predictors of higher performance in both communication and clinical skills.ConclusionTrainee doctors’ attachment styles are associated with patient communication and clinical performance. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of attachment on consultations between doctors and patients within clinical settings.Practice implicationAttachment theory can inform our understanding why, for some student doctors, interacting with patients may be particularly challenging and require additional support by medical educators.
KW - Attachment
KW - OSCE
KW - doctor-patient communication
KW - clinical skills
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2016.05.019
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2016.05.019
M3 - Journal article
VL - 99
SP - 1852
EP - 1857
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
SN - 0738-3991
IS - 11
ER -