Fink About It: Development and Evaluation of a Communications Curriculum for Healthcare Professionals

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. BackgroundCommunication skills are of paramount importance in the medical professions. However, it is acknowledged that instruction on this aspect of care is often lacking, or suboptimal in medical curricula. There is often a large focus on content, without the ability to teach and assess practical components related to the ability to communicate.AimThis article proposes the adoption of Fink's taxonomy as a curricular model for communication skills training for healthcare professionals.MethodA literature review of existing curricular models and their potential application was undertaken in order to select the most appropriate choice for a communication module for oncology healthcare professionals. Personal reflection also had a role, as a radiation therapist and medical educator.ResultsFink's taxonomy of significant learning consists of five key steps in curriculum design, to guide medical educators in delivering effective teaching and learning activities. The application of these to a communication module for healthcare professionals is outlined here.ConclusionsVisualisation of the "ideal graduate" is a powerful tool in curriculum design. Many medical educators have an intuitive feel for what this is, however the use of Fink's model provides the evidence base and structure to assist constructive alignment of teaching and learning activities.