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Effects of communication skills training courses on knowledge levels of the health workforce in Sulaimani

Background and objective: Communication skills are one of the important and effective skills for healthcare providers. Health provider-patient communication is a core component of the health system and has a strong impact on health user satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the level of communication skills among health workforces, and the role of the training course on communication skills improvement. 
Methods: This quasi-experimental study included 571 newly graduated participants of health workforces from a Sulaimani city center. Standard tools of communication skills were used for pre- and post-test evaluation through 5 hours of training course including 25-30 participants with a total of 24 training courses. Data collection was performed by the self-administered method. Descriptive statistics and analytical statistics were used to test statistical difference and associations. 
 Results: Minimum required for communication knowledge and skills are reported by the small percentage of studied participants (12.6%) at the beginning of training. Comparing the mean scores of communication skills showed a statistically significant improvement (mean difference scores is 5.9) after the intervention. Significant communication skills improvement scores have been reported among youngest age groups and physicians. 
Conclusion: Well-organized training courses in communication skills can increase the health workforces' rate of communication skills. Training in communication skills should be widely included during undergraduate studying and in-service training programs.