The Centre for Communication Education Research and Professional Development, at the School of Communication and Media Studies, University of Education, Winneba, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, organised a capacity-building workshop for health practitioners focused on improving patient communication and caregiving skills.

Held at the UEW North Campus Student Centre, Seminar Room 3, the workshop was themed “Care beyond treatment: mastering patient communication skills,” and brought together health practitioners for discussions on the critical role effective communication plays in healthcare delivery beyond diagnosis and treatment.

The programme focused on equipping participants with practical communication tools to improve patient-provider relationships, strengthen empathy, and enhance the overall quality of care in healthcare settings where communication often directly influences patient outcomes.

A total of 50 participants from 20 healthcare facilities across Winneba took part in the training, reflecting strong local interest in strengthening communication capacity within the healthcare sector.

As part of the training, participants engaged in sessions on The Art of Listening in Caregiving and Emotional Intelligence among Patients and Health Providers, topics designed to address communication challenges in healthcare and encourage more compassionate, patient-centred service delivery.

Organisers emphasised that listening effectively and understanding the emotional needs of patients are essential components of quality healthcare, particularly in environments where trust, empathy, and clarity can significantly shape treatment experiences and outcomes.

The workshop featured presentations from key academic and communication experts within UEW, including Prof Albert A. Wornyo, Dean of the School of Communication and Media Studies; Prof Patricia Mawusi Amos, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Applied Behavioral Sciences in Education; and Dr Naa Korkor Watson-Nortey, Head of the Department of Communication Instruction at the School of Communication and Media Studies.

Their contributions highlighted the intersection between communication studies and healthcare practice, reinforcing the need for health professionals to develop stronger interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills as part of holistic patient care.

Participants expressed appreciation for the practical insights shared during the workshop, describing the training as timely and relevant to the realities of patient care.

Many attendees said the sessions had broadened their understanding of how communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence can directly influence patient trust and treatment outcomes, while also calling for more of such professional development initiatives from UEW to support continuous learning within the health sector.

The initiative reflects CCERPD’s broader commitment to applying communication education to professional development across sectors, such as healthcare where patient satisfaction and recovery can be influenced not only by treatment but also by how care is communicated.

By focusing on patient communication as a professional skill, the workshop underscored the importance of moving healthcare conversations beyond medical procedures to include empathy, active listening, and emotional awareness.