[Un pad.ac.id, 8/04/2016] A good doctor is someone who is able to empathize with patients’ problem. Therefore it is important for Medicine Science students to teach of communication capability.
“The effective dentist-patient communication is ideally a collaboration on an equal basis, so that the nature of the communication is not paternalistic but more toward a counseling,” said Gilang Yubliana, drg., M.Kes s as she acts as one of the speakers at Training of Dentists and Patients Communication for Lecturer of Clinical Skills (DPKK) in Dental and Oral Hospital (RSGM) Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) Unpad, Jln. Sekeloa Selatan I Bandung, Friday (8/04).
Furthermore, drg. Gilang said that one of the collaboration forms was when doctors made a diagnosis and then offered an alternative therapy, followed by guidance to patient to choose the best alternative. “The patient is given a choice,” said drg. Gilang.
In practice, aside from communicating with patients, a dentist needed to also communicate with families of patients, other doctors, members of other health professions, members of non medical profession, and the community.
“We have actually done this so far. What is new is the measurement and scale,” she said.
Currently, a team from Department of Dental Public Health in FKG Unpad has already made Trans-adaptation Communications Capabilities Test Measurement for Dentist and Patient, a communication skills checklist consisting of 24 dimensions. The measurement was to be implemented at the student learning next semester. Therefore, this training was also held as a preparation for the participants to use this measurement, as well as to improve effective communication skills for lecturers.
In a competency-based curriculum that has been applied in FKG Unpad, Chairman of Dentistry Education Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Dr. Sri Susilawati, Drg., M.Kes explained that one of the supporting competence is communication as a support for all the learning objectives in the field of dentistry.
“The uniformity of faculty understanding and skills in medical communication skills transfer is essential for successful establishment of students’ communication skills. Therefore medical communication skills training is carried out in order to calibrate the medical communication skills checklist as trans-adaptation and validation result that has been done before, “said Dr. Susi.
Using calibration would also ensure that users could received a consistent measurement. This activity will be held until Saturday (9/04).
The training was attended by 22 participants from 11 departments in FKG Unpad. Dr. Susi expected that the trained participants would be able to guide their students’ clinical skills and also disseminate information to their respective departments.
“In addition to participants from the department there are also several observers in the field of health communication,” she added.
Speakers in the Training session were Lecturers from Health Sciences from Faculty of Medicine Dr. Insi., M.Kes and from Department of Dental and Oral Health Sciences Society FKG Unpad Drg.Gilang Yubiliana, M.Kes., Drg. Riana Wardani., MS., and Dr. Cucu Zubaedah, dra., M.Kes.
The training was opened by Vice Dean of Academic, Student Affairs, Innovation and Cooperation of FKG Unpad, Prof.Dr.drg. Achmad Syawqie, M.Kes. In his speech, he expected the activities to further improve interpersonal skills of the lecturers of clinical skills, especially re the communication skills of the students.
“The communication capability seems trivial, but it contributed to the success of an optimal treatment,” he said.*
Reported by Artanti Hendriyana / eh
