?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Physician+Communication+Skills%3A+Results+of+a+Survey+of+General%2FFamily+Practitioners+in+Newfoundland%0A&rft.creator=Ashbury+PhD%2C+Fredrick+D.&rft.creator=Iverson+PhD%2C+Donald+C.&rft.creator=Kralj+PhD%2C+Boris&rft.subject=MEO+Peer+Reviewed&rft.description=Purpose%3A+To+describe+the+attitudes+related+to+communication+skills%2C+confidence+in+using+commnication+skills%2C+and+use+of+communication+skills+during+the+physician-patient+encounter+among+a+population-based+sample+of+family+physicians.%0AProcedures%3A+A+mailed+survey%2C+distributed+to+all+family+physicians+and+general+practitioners+currently+practicing+in+Newfoundland.+The+questionnaire+was+designed+to+collect+data+in+five+general+areas+participant+demographics%2C+physician+confidence+in+using+specific+communication+strategies%2C+perceived+adequacy+of+time+spent+by+physicians+with+their+patients%2C+physician+use+of+specific+communication+strategies+with+the+adult+patients+they+saw+in+the+prior+week%2C+and+physician+use+of+specific+communication+strategies+during+the+closing+minutes+of+the+encounters+they+had+with+adult+patients+in+the+prior+week.%0AMain+Findings%3A+A+total+of+160+completed+surveys+was+received+from+practicing+family+physicians%2Fgeneral+practitioners+in+Newfoundland%2C+yielding+an+adjusted+response+rate+of+43.1%25.+Most+of+the+respondents+(83.8%25)+indicated+their+communication+skills+are+as+important+as+technical+skills+in+terms+of+achieving+positive+patient+outcomes.+Between+one-third+and+one-half+of+the+respondents%2C+depending+on+the+educational+level+queried%2C+rated+their+communications+skills+training+as+being+inadequate.+Fewer+than+20%25+of+the+respondents+rated+the+communications+skills+training+they+received+as+being+excellent.+Physicians+indicated+a+need+to+improve+their+use+of+8+of+13+specific+communication+strategies+during+patient+encounters%2C+and+reported+using+few+communication+strategies+during+the+closing+minutes+of+the+encounter.+Interactions+that+occurred+during+a+typical+encounter+tended+to+focus+on+biomedical+versus+psychosocial+issues.%0AConclusions%3A+Family+physicians%2Fgeneral+practitioners+recognize+a+need+to+improve+their+commnications+skills.+Well-designed+communications+skills+training+programs+should+be+implemented+at+multi-levels+of+physician+training+in+order+to+improve+patient+satisfaction+with+their+encounters+with+family%2Fgeneral+practitioners%2C+and+to+increase+the+likelihood+of+positive+patient+outcomes.%0A&rft.date=2001&rft.type=Journal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F2420%2F1%2Fres00014.pdf&rft.identifier=++Ashbury+PhD%2C+Fredrick+D.+and+Iverson+PhD%2C+Donald+C.+and+Kralj+PhD%2C+Boris++(2001)+Physician+Communication+Skills%3A+Results+of+a+Survey+of+General%2FFamily+Practitioners+in+Newfoundland.++%5BJournal+(On-line%2FUnpaginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F2420%2F