Journal Article

Effectiveness of blended learning to improve medical students’ communication skills: a randomized, controlled trial

Zumbrunn, Samuel K., Hunziker, Sabina, Arpagaus, Armon, Gross, Sebastian, Bissmann, Benjamin, Gössi, Flavio, Wunderlich, Kurt, Becker, Christoph, Wilde, Michael

2025

Overview

Background This study aimed to evaluate whether a blended learning course improves medical students’ communication skills compared to a face-to-face only lecture. Methods After completing a face-to-face lecture on communication skills, 2nd year medical students were gender-matched and randomized to either an intervention receiving an interactive video-based online learning module covering the content of the previous lecture and including a knowledge assessment or a control group only receiving a knowledge assessment. The primary endpoint was students’ knowledge about communication techniques assessed by a predefined score from 0 to 100. Secondary outcomes included students’ feedback and satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 5. Additionally, qualitative analysis of free-text responses to patient case vignettes was conducted. Results One hundred sixty-four medical students were included in the final analysis (64% female). The intervention group had significantly higher knowledge (mean, SD points) (73.6 ± 10.7 versus 56.7 ± 15.3, adjusted difference 17.02, 95%CI 12.95 to 21.1, p  < 0.001) and reported higher satisfaction (4.3 ± 0.9 versus 3.5 ± 1.0, difference 0.78, 95%CI 0.48 to 1.07, p  < 0.001) compared to the control group. Qualitative analysis of free-text responses also revealed improvements in patient-centered communication techniques in the intervention group. Conclusions Blended learning significantly enhances medical students’ communication skills and satisfaction compared to traditional lecture-based learning and may thereby contribute to the development of future knowledge and practices to improve patient-centered care. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Blended learning / Clinical Competence / Communication / Communication Skills / Communication Strategies / Communicative Competence (Languages) / Competence / Computer Mediated Communication / Computer-Assisted Instruction / Control Groups / Curricula / Distance learning / Dropout Rate / E-learning / Education / Education, Distance - methods / Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods / Educational aspects / Educational Assessment / Educational Measurement / Educational Objectives / Educational research / Electronic Equipment / Electronic Learning / Emotional Response / Ethics / Feedback / Feedback (Response) / Female / Gamification / Gender / Humans / In Person Learning / Interactive Video / Knowledge / Learner Engagement / Learning Management Systems / Learning Modules / Lecture Method / Male / Medical Education / Medical Evaluation / Medical students / Multiple choice / Naming / Online instruction / Online learning / Patients / Physician-Patient Relations / Physicians / Professional ethics / Professionals / Retention (Psychology) / Self evaluation / Social aspects / Student Participation / Students, Medical - psychology / Theory of Medicine/Bioethics / Verbal communication / Young Adult