How we developed Doctors Speak Up: an evidence-based language and communication skills open access resource for International Medical Graduates

BACKGROUND: Some International Medical Graduates (IMGs) need to develop language and communication skills for patient-centred care but have limited opportunities to do so. AIM: To develop an evidence-based, language and communication skills web resource for IMG doctors and supervisors, focussing on culturally challenging patient interviews. METHODS: Forty-eight IMGs participated in four practice OSCEs. We video-recorded the interactions and applied discourse analytic methods to investigate salient language and communication features. RESULTS: The findings from the OSCE workshops showed that many participants demonstrated aspects of patient-centred interviewing but were hindered by limited interactional competence to elicit information and negotiate behaviours as well as a limited repertoire of English grammar, vocabulary, and phonological phrasing for effective interaction. These findings guided the choice of content and pedagogy for the development of the web-based resource Doctors Speak Up. CONCLUSION: Evaluation and uptake of the Doctors Speak Up website confirm the demand for a resource combining targeted communication skills and language instruction. Over 19 500 users visited the website between March 2012 and November 2013.