Simulation: Improving communication with patients

Patient-doctor communication has become a topic of increasing importance and attention, with both personal and public health ramifications. Despite this, formal training in communication is rare in later professional life, and the best way of improving these skills is unknown. Recently, attention has turned to simulation as a way to teach communication skills to medical providers. In this article, we review the history and current evidence behind utilizing simulation for patient-doctor communication teaching, as well as the challenges for future research in this field as it progresses into mainstream practice. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.