Soft Skill Development in Ophthalmology and its Importance to Aspiring Canadian Medical Students
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Published:
May 7, 2018
Keywords:
Soft skill, non-technical skill, medical education, patient-centred care, ophthalmology
Main Article Content
Abstract
Soft skills are social and emotional intelligences that facilitate harmonious interpersonal interactions. Soft skills enable physicians to understand and build rapport with patients. Soft skills are increasingly considered crucial physician qualities within surgical specialties, including ophthalmology. Although avenues exist for general soft skill development, medical students may find challenges directing their development to ophthalmic settings due to medical curricula’s limited ophthalmology exposure. This perspective commentary discusses resources to aid ophthalmic soft skill development. Lectures provide foundational knowledge. Electives and volunteering provide opportunities to practice soft skills. Electives and mentorship direct soft skills towards desired disciplines. Studying and participating in research that utilizes patient-centred outcomes improves current and future care.
Article Details
Section
Commentary
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41. Joseph A, Pasquale LR. Attributes Associated with Adherence to Glaucoma Medical Therapy and its E ects on Glaucoma Outcomes: An EvidenceBased Review and Potential Strategies to Improve Adherence. Semin Ophthalmol. 2017 Oct;32(1):86–90.
42. Slota C, Davis SA, Blalock SJ, Carpenter DM, Muir KW, Robin AL, et al. Patient-Physician Communication on Medication Cost during Glaucoma Visits. Optom Vis Sci. 2017 Dec;94(12):1095–101.
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2. Robles MM. Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in Today’s Workplace. Business Communication Quarterly. 2012 Oct;75(4):453– 65.
3. CanMEDS: Better standards, better physicians, better care [Internet]. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: CanMEDS Framework. [cited 2017 Dec 25]. Available from: http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/canmeds/canmeds-framework-e
4. Ten Cate O. Competency-Based Postgraduate Medical Education: Past, Present and Future. GMS J Med Educ. 2017 Feb;34(5):69.
5. Schultz K, Griffths J. Implementing Competency-Based Medical Education in a Postgraduate Family Medicine Residency Training Program: A Stepwise Approach, Facilitating Factors, and Processes or Steps That Would Have Been Helpful. Acad Med. 2016 May;91(5):685–9.
6. Farmer DL. Soft Skills Matter. JAMA Surg. 2015 Mar 1;150(3):207.
7. Agha RA, Fowler AJ, Sevdalis N. The role of non-technical skills in surgery. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2015 Oct 9;4(4):422–7.
8. Boyle J, Vukicevic M, Koklanis K, Itsiopoulos C, Rees G. Experiences of patients undergoing repeated intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Psychol Health Med. 2018 Feb;23(2):127–40.
9. Arora V, Bali SJ, Gupta SK, Vashisht P, Agarwal T, Sreenivas V, et al. Impact of initial topical medical therapy on short-term quality of life in newly diagnosed patients with primary glaucoma. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2015 Jun;63(6):511–5.
10. Meyer-Ruesenberg B, Richard G. [New insights into the underestimated impairment of quality of life in age-related macular degeneration a review of the literature]. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2010 Aug;227(8):646–52.
11. Chang MY, Velez FG, Demer JL, Isenberg SJ, Coleman AL, Pineles SL. Quality of life in adults with strabismus. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Mar;159(3):539-44. e2.
12. Lehane CM, Dammeyer J, Elsass P. Sensory loss and its consequences for couples’ psychosocial and relational wellbeing: an integrative review. A ing Ment Health. 2017 Apr;21(4):337–47.
13. Méndez-Ulrich JL, Sanz A. Psycho-ophthalmology: Contributions of Health psychology to the assessment and treatment of glaucoma. Psychol Health. 2017 Mar;32(3):330–42.
14. Harkness J. Patient involvement: a vital principle for patient-centred health care. World Hosp Health Serv. 2005;41(2):12–6, 40–3.
15. Hu man MH. Health Coaching: a fresh, new approach to improve quality outcomes and compliance for patients with chronic conditions. Home Healthc Nurse. 2009 Sep;27(8):490–6.
16. Michels KS, Hansel TEB, Choi D, Lauer AK. A survey of desired skills to acquire in ophthalmology training: a descriptive statistical analysis. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 2007 Apr;38(2):107–14.
17. FMEC MD 2015: Five Years of Innovations at Canadian Medical Schools [Internet]. Ottawa, Ontario: The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC); 2015 Jan [cited 2018 Mar 27]. (The Future of Medical Education in Canada (FMEC): A Collective Vision for MD Education 2010-2015). Available from: https://afmc.ca/pdf/fmec/FMEC-MD-2015.pdf
18. The SIM Website [Internet]. Society, Individual, and Medicine. [cited 2017 Dec 27]. Available from: https://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/welcome_e. html
19. Davies BL, Bertrand J, Douek DJ. Transgender Issues: Trans Health Perspectives. PowerPoint presented at: Society, Individual, and Medicine Class; 2017 Nov 9; University of Ottawa.
20. Kilabuk E. Inuit pulmonary health, history, geography, and social determinants of health. PowerPoint presented at: Society, Individual, and Medicine Class; 2017 Mar 7; University of Ottawa.
21. Jones G. Social Determinants of Health. PowerPoint presented at: Society, Individual, and Medicine Class; 2016 Sep 12; University of Ottawa.
22. Nassrallah G, Arora S, Kulkarni S, Hutnik CML. Perspective on a formal mentorship program in ophthalmology residency. Can J Ophthalmol. 2017 Aug;52(4):321–2.
23. Lovell B. What do we know about coaching in medical education? A literature review. Med Educ. 2017 Dec 11;52(4):376–90.
24. Williams JR. End-Of-Life Care. PowerPoint presented at: Society, Individual, and Medicine Class; 2017 Feb 21; University of Ottawa.
25. Hébert PC. Doing right: a practical guide to ethics for medical trainees and physicians. Third edition. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press; 2014.
26. Komrad MS. A defence of medical paternalism: maximising patients’ autonomy. J Med Ethics. 1983 Mar;9(1):38–44.
27. Sandman L, Munthe C. Shared decision making, paternalism and patient choice. Health Care Anal. 2010 Mar;18(1):60–84.
28. Chin JJ. Doctor-patient relationship: from medical paternalism to enhanced autonomy. Singapore Med J. 2002 Mar;43(3):152–5.
29. Quigley HA. The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2006 Mar 1;90(3):262–7.
30. National Eye Institute (NIH). Facts About Glaucoma [Internet]. National Eye Institute (NIH). 2015 [cited 2018 Mar 27]. Available from: https://nei. nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts
31. Schwartz GF, Quigley HA. Adherence and persistence with glaucoma therapy. Surv Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;53 Suppl1:S57-68.
32. Sleath B, Blalock SJ, Robin A, Hartnett ME, Covert D, DeVellis B, et al. Development of an instrument to measure glaucoma medication self-effcacy and outcome expectations. Eye (Lond). 2010 Apr;24(4):624–31.
33. Newman-Casey PA, Robin AL, Blachley T, Farris K, Heisler M, Resnicow K, et al. The Most Common Barriers to Glaucoma Medication Adherence: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Ophthalmology. 2015 Jul;122(7):1308–16.
34. Friedman DS, Hahn SR, Gelb L, Tan J, Shah SN, Kim EE, et al. Doctor-patient communication, health-related beliefs, and adherence in glaucoma results from the Glaucoma Adherence and Persistency Study. Ophthalmology. 2008 Aug;115(8):1320–7, 1327.e1-3.
35. Lacey J, Cate H, Broadway DC. Barriers to adherence with glaucoma medications: a qualitative research study. Eye (Lond). 2009 Apr;23(4):924–32.
36. Stryker JE, Beck AD, Primo SA, Echt KV, Bundy L, Pretorius GC, et al. An exploratory study of factors in uencing glaucoma treatment adherence. J Glaucoma. 2010 Jan;19(1):66–72.
37. Tsai JC, McClure CA, Ramos SE, Schlundt DG, Pichert JW. Compliance barriers in glaucoma: a systematic classiffcation. J Glaucoma. 2003 Oct;12(5):393–8.
38. Lunnela J, Kääriäinen M, Kyngäs H. The views of compliant glaucoma patients on counselling and social support. Scand J Caring Sci. 2010 Sep;24(3):490–8.
39. Taylor SA, Galbraith SM, Mills RP. Causes of non-compliance with drug regimens in glaucoma patients: a qualitative study. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2002 Oct;18(5):401–9.
40. Sleath BL, Blalock SJ, Muir KW, Carpenter DM, Lawrence SD, Giangiacomo AL, et al. Determinants of Self-Reported Barriers to Glaucoma Medicine Administration and Adherence: A Multisite Study. Ann Pharmacother. 2014 Jul;48(7):856–62.
41. Joseph A, Pasquale LR. Attributes Associated with Adherence to Glaucoma Medical Therapy and its E ects on Glaucoma Outcomes: An EvidenceBased Review and Potential Strategies to Improve Adherence. Semin Ophthalmol. 2017 Oct;32(1):86–90.
42. Slota C, Davis SA, Blalock SJ, Carpenter DM, Muir KW, Robin AL, et al. Patient-Physician Communication on Medication Cost during Glaucoma Visits. Optom Vis Sci. 2017 Dec;94(12):1095–101.
43. Dean S, Mathers JM, Calvert M, Kyte DG, Conroy D, Folkard A, et al. “The patient is speaking”: discovering the patient voice in ophthalmology. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2017 Jun 1;101(6):700–8.
44. Pager CK. Expectations and outcomes in cataract surgery: a prospective test of 2 models of satisfaction. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Dec;122(12):1788–92
45. Kirwan C, Nolan JM, Stack J, Moore TCB, Beatty S. Determinants of patient satisfaction and function related to vision following cataract surgery in eyes with no visually consequential ocular co-morbidity. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015 Oct;253(10):1735–44.
46. Addisu Z, Solomon B. Patients’ Preoperative Expectation and Outcome of Cataract Surgery at Jimma University Specialized Hospital -Department of Ophthalmology. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2011 Mar;21(1):47–55.
47. Mollazadegan K, Lundström M. A study of the correlation between patient-reported outcomes and clinical outcomes after cataract surgery in ophthalmic clinics. Acta Ophthalmol. 2015 May 1;93(3):293–8.
48. Volunteer Your Time [Internet]. Canadian National Institute of Blindness (CNIB). [cited 2017 Dec 27]. Available from: http://www.cnib.ca/en/get-involved/volunteer-your-tme/Pages/default.aspx.