Importance: Communication skills (CS) are essential for occupational therapists. Incorporating feedback intervention theory and reflective practice theory into training can enhance CS in occupational therapy students.
Objective: To investigate the effects of the Feedback and Reflection for Communication Skill Training program (FR-CT) on the CS of students.
Design: A pretest–posttest design was used.
Setting: Psychiatry department of a medical center in Taiwan.
Participants: Occupational therapists, students, and patients with mental disorders were recruited.
Outcomes and Measures: Students’ CS were assessed before and after the intervention using the Gap–Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form.
Intervention: Students conducted three interview sessions with different patients and engaged in reflective practice. Clinical instructors provided timely feedback, and experts offered in-depth feedback.
Results: Experts noted significant improvements in students’ overall CS and in four CS domains—Builds a Relationship, Gathers Information, Shares Information, and Provides Closure (p < .05)—with small to medium effect sizes (rs = .29–.37).
Conclusions and Relevance: FR-CT improves students’ CS, particularly in key domains. Incorporating feedback and self-reflection has the potential to improve CS.
Plain-Language Summary: Effective communication is crucial in occupational therapy. This study developed a training program that is designed to enhance occupational therapy students’ communication skills with patients by combining feedback and reflection. Known as the Feedback and Reflection for Communication Skill Training program (FR-CT), the program included an initial skill development session for students. Instructors then provided students with timely feedback and conveyed in-depth feedback that was generated by experts based on real interviews with patients and guided students to reflect on their performance. We discovered that, after completing the FR-CT, students significantly improved their communication skills related to building relationships, gathering information, sharing information, and concluding conversations with patients. This study demonstrates that integrating feedback and reflection into training can significantly enhance students’ communication skills. The study also provides a clinically feasible and effective approach to communication skills training for occupational therapy professionals.
