Develop patient-centered English communication skills in an interprofessional environment

Adatok

A Tantárgybejelentőben megadott hivatalos adatok az alábbi tanévre: 2026-2027

Tematika

Recognizing the changing needs in healthcare, the course raises awareness of and develops future health professionals’ use of patient‑centred medical English through English‑language interactions. One of the main aims of the course is to provide healthcare students—primarily medical, pharmacy, and biotechnology students—with opportunities to compare and contrast perspectives and decisions arising from their different training backgrounds, and to engage in professional discussion in English. Another aim of the course is to draw attention and develop professional communictive and coping strategies regarding the difficult doctor-patient interactions with patients undergoing long-term therapy or patients with functional disabilities. Therefore, the course will integrate the Standardized Patient Program launched at the Medical School in Pécs in 2019, enabling course participants to recognize the features of dysfunctional communicative interactions and to develop suitable professional behavior and communication skills integrating their prior professional studies with the communicative language functions of Medical English. A further aim of the course is to enable participants to understand and appropriately use the features of medical English, also integrating metacommunicative tools to ensure patient‑centred communication during simulated health professional–patient interactions.

The new course is offered and designed with the aim of responding to the international FIP guidelines that emphasize the need to address emerging changes and needs in healthcare, such as the global importance of digitalisation, the need for harmonised communication among healthcare professionals, and the provision of patient‑centred care.

Senior students enrolled in any undergraduate programme of the Faculty of Health Sciences may also register for the course to support a wider range for an interprofessional environment.

The course primarily incorporates cooperative teaching strategies and simulates realistic, real-life situations involving professional communication among professionals and with patients, in order to develop patient‑centred, empathetic, and professional communication skills in English.

Contact hours are offered in seminar format, led by medical English instructors. Based on interactive and cooperative educational methodologies, the course employs group‑based learning, simulation roleplays, weekly debate forums, and case study presentations, depending on the relevant thematic focus. Course materials and supplementary resources are presented in the form of short printed texts or video materials.

Learning outcomes

The student is able to work in teams and provide clear, empathetic professional communication in English, aligned with the listening partner’s level of education, using patient‑centred communication strategies and situation‑appropriate medical English expressions in interactions with other professionals and in simulated health professional–patient encounters.

Weekly classes: 1 × 90 minutes over 12 weeks during the semester.

Developed knowledge, skills, behaviour and attitudes

Knowledge

-The student is able to distinguish between the different varieties of professional language with laypersons and with professionals.

Skills

The student is able to think critically and formulate logical arguments in English using professional language

-is able to accurately express a range of linguistic functions in English (e.g., requests, questions, prohibitions, criticism, warnings, giving information).

-applies the appropriate variety of professional language depending on the situation and the interlocutor (layperson vs. professional).

-is able to identify, understand, and analyse the relationship between linguistic choices and the implementation of patient‑centred communication strategies (e.g., establishing trust and cooperation)

Attitude

The student recognises and applies the key linguistic tools and principles of patient‑centred communication appropriate to the communicative situation (e.g., empathy, active listening, non‑verbal signals).

-is able to work collaboratively in a team and cooperate effectively with other healthcare professionals.

-facilitates the implementation of shared decision‑making with the patient

Autonomy

The student is able to evaluate and give feedback—based on defined criteria—on the effectiveness of communication regarding their own and peers’ performance in roleplay activities.

Előadások

Gyakorlatok

Szemináriumok

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A tananyag elsajátításához szükséges segédanyagok

Kötelező irodalom

Saját oktatási anyag

Practice, and Evidence-Jones & Bartlett Publishers (2018)

Jegyzet

Our own educational material will be provided to list the language items for the different communicative language functions.

Ajánlott irodalom

A félév elfogadásának feltételei

It is within the educator’s responsibility and authority.

Félévközi ellenőrzések

Interactive review at the beginning of class sessions to support continuous skills development and reinforce key concepts.

Mid‑Semester Assessment

Objective written test evaluating students’ understanding of the relationship between linguistic tools and communicative functions.

End‑of‑Semester Assessment

Objective written test covering course content and communicative strategies. Group case‑analysis presentation, in which each student group delivers a structured analysis demonstrating the application of patient‑centred communication principles and professional English language use.

Távolmaradás pótlásának lehetőségei

It is within the educator’s responsibility and authority. (eg. extra project work)

Vizsgakérdések

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Vizsgáztatók

Gyakorlatok, szemináriumok oktatói

• Krommer Zoltán
• Nagy Gabriella (EüKommInt)