Abstract
BACKGROUND: Effective communication skills and professional self-efficacy are essential components of quality healthcare delivery. This study assessed the impact of structured communication skills training program on self-efficacy and communication skills among primary health care workers in southwest Iran. METHODS: The study was conducted as a pre-test/post-test controlled trial at Ardal County Health and Treatment Center. The study was conducted from January to March 2024. Sixty health workers were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 30) receiving a 10-session communication skills workshop (60 min/session) with supplemental virtual discussions, or a control group (n = 30) receiving no training. Outcome measures included the Ansari Standard Questionnaire for self-efficacy assessment and the Queendom Communication Skills Test (CSTR) for communication skills evaluation. All analyses were performed using statistical software, employing paired t-tests to assess within-group changes and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to compare post-test scores between groups while controlling for baseline scores. RESULTS: The intervention group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both primary outcomes. For self-efficacy, post-test scores averaged 76.25 (SD = 29.73) in the intervention group compared to 51.90 (SD = 16.67) in controls (p = 0.028). Communication skills showed similar improvement, with intervention participants scoring 91.49 (SD = 37.99) versus 78.14 (SD = 30.60) in the control group (p = 0.024). Paired t-tests confirmed significant within-group improvements from pre-test to post-test for the intervention group (p < 0.001 for both outcomes), while no significant change was observed in the control group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study provides robust evidence that structured communication skills training can significantly enhance both self-efficacy and communication abilities among primary healthcare workers. These findings have important implications for improving patient-provider interactions and overall healthcare service quality in primary care environments. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.