Background: An increasing amount of literature has studied changes in communication skills in medical and nursing undergraduate students.
Aim: To evaluate whether occupational therapists' communication behaviours change with experience.
Material and methods: A total of 45 participants (second-year OT students, final-year OT students, professional OTs) were enrolled and met three simulated clients. The role plays were video-recorded and analysed through OT-RIAS (Occupational Therapy-Roter Interaction Analysis System). Chi-square tests were used to analyse the statistical differences between groups for the OT-RIAS categories.
Results: Process represented 30.74% of communication for second-year students, 33.69% for final year students, and 35.58% for professional OTs; Occupational therapy ranged from 30.41% in the second-year students to 32.54% in the undergraduates and 37.04% in the professional OTs; Medical increased from 18.66% to 34.33% of the final-year students and 47.01% of the professional therapists. Personal and Psychosocial slightly decreased through experience. Emotional decreased gradually: 39.8% in the second-year students, 29.54% in final-year students, and 30.66% in professional OTs.
Conclusion: During training in occupational therapy the communication skills changed, assuming a more technical shape, increasing control and content-related OT communication. Nevertheless, the therapists' communication behaviours showed the endurance of attention to the client's point of view.
Keywords: Communication; OT-RIAS; occupational therapy; videotaped simulated visits.