Assessing Relational Coordination in a Clinical Skills Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The global spread of the COVID-19 virus caused unprecedented interruptions in medical education. This paper evaluates Relational Coordination: communicating and relating for task integration; between the distinct roles responsible for delivering clinical teaching during the peak of the pandemic.Methodology.Using a cross-sectional design, this study assesses Relational Coordination between twelve groups within a Clinical Skills Program at a Medical School in the United Arab Emirates. It also measures three relevant well-being dimensions: namely, Job satisfaction, Work Engagement, and Burnout.Results. Overall, RC scores were moderate (3.65 out of 5.00) and were found to positively and significantly increase both job satisfaction (β = 1.1, p < 0.001) and work engagement (β = 0.8, p < 0.01). While being marginally associated with lower burnout (β=-0.5, p = 0.08). Fifty percent of participants experienced high job satisfaction, with a mean score of 5.0 out of 7.0, while 73% reported being enthusiastic about their job, with a mean score of 6.0 out of 7.0. About a third of participants (27%) reported feeling burnout.Conclusions.During times of disruption and crisis, medical education can benefit from higher levels of relational coordination. Our study shows the significant impact of relational coordination on well-being measures like job satisfaction and work engagement. To achieve favorable outcomes, and maintain academic excellence, we recommend six interventions to improve relational coordination in Clinical Skills Programs, focusing on improving communication, work processes, regular meetings, education innovations, capacity building, and the establishment of coaching and counseling programs for students and faculty.