Design, Validation, and Implementation of a Structured Online Communication Skills Module for Postgraduate Medical Residents
Abstract
A BSTRACT Communication is a core clinical competency, yet structured training for postgraduate (PG) residents in peripheral medical colleges remains limited. This study aimed to design, validate, and implement an asynchronous online communication skills module tailored for PG residents, with attention to feasibility, effectiveness, and potential for vertical curriculum integration. A descriptive educational intervention was conducted among 128 residents at a tertiary medical college in Eastern India. Module design was validated through a Delphi process and content validity measures, incorporating Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, Strategy and Summary (SPIKES), Greet, Ask, Tell, Help, Explain, Return (GATHER), and the Calgary–Cambridge frameworks. The four-thread, eight-task module was delivered asynchronously using digital platforms. Quantitative data included task completion, punctuality, and Likert-scale feedback; qualitative data were obtained from reflective writings, SWOC analyses, and focus group discussions. Task completion was 87% with 89% punctual submissions. Residents reported significant improvements in awareness, confidence, and application of communication frameworks ( P < 0.001** across all domains). Thematic analysis revealed progressive gains in reflection, patient-centered questioning, counseling, and empathy. Feedback indicated high satisfaction (mean scores 4.2–4.7/5), with calls for hybrid integration. Notably, many residents proposed undergraduate workshops, reflecting readiness to transfer skills into teaching roles. The structured, asynchronous module was feasible, effective, and well received in a peripheral PG setting. By strengthening residents’ communication competencies and fostering their capacity to design undergraduate workshops, the intervention demonstrates potential for vertical integration of communication training across medical education.