Abstract
Background: Effective communication skills in medical history taking not only enhance diagnostic accuracy but also improve patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, and minimize medical errors. In Vietnam, evidence regarding the knowledge and attitudes of students in General Medicine, Odonto-Stomatology, and Traditional Medicine toward learning these skills remains limited. Objectives: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of fourth-year students in General Medicine, Odonto-Stomatology, and Traditional Medicine toward communication skills learning in medical history taking and to identify associated factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from December 2025 to January 2026 among 404 fourth-year students across the three aforementioned majors. A semi-structured questionnaire was employed, incorporating the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) to evaluate student attitudes. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Results: Students exhibited a positive attitude toward communication skills learning (Positive Attitude Scale: PAS = 48.51 ± 6.94), while negative attitudes remained low (Negative Attitude Scale: NAS = 33.21 ± 7.71). Specifically, the PAS and NAS scores were 48.98 ± 7.20 and 33.51 ± 8.09 for General Medicine students; 47.76 ± 6.97 and 33.61 ± 7.80 for Odonto-Stomatology students; and 48.70 ± 6.42 and 32.19 ± 6.89 for Traditional Medicine students, respectively. Regarding communication skills knowledge, 39.8% of students were rated as "Good," 36.2% as "Average," and 24.0% as "Poor." Students in General Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology demonstrated higher knowledge levels compared to those in Traditional Medicine (40.9% and 47.7% vs. 22.8%). Good knowledge was significantly associated with a positive attitude (p < 0.001), whereas gender, academic performance, and place of residence showed no statistically significant differences.
Conclusion: Fourth-year students across General Medicine, Odonto-Stomatology, and Traditional Medicine programs maintain a positive attitude toward communication skills learning. However, their knowledge regarding communication skills in medical history taking remains limited. A strong correlation exists between attitudes toward learning and the actual knowledge of communication skills.
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