Development of a Comprehensive Communication Skills Curriculum for Pediatrics Residents

Peterson, Eleanor; Boland, Kimberly A.; Bryant, Kristina; McKinley, Tara; Porter, Melissa; Potter, Katherine E.; Calhoun, Aaron W.

doi:10.4300/jgme-d-15-00485.1

Cited by 21 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Curricula to teach communication skills have been used in training programs to foster effective physician-patient/parent interactions. 9,10 Programs that use role playing with simulated parents to help residents develop skills to navigate difficult encounters, such as giving bad news, have been shown to increase perceived self-efficacy and performance on objective evaluations. [9][10][11][12] A simulation-based communications course similar to the one described here could be implemented in other training settings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9,10 Programs that use role playing with simulated parents to help residents develop skills to navigate difficult encounters, such as giving bad news, have been shown to increase perceived self-efficacy and performance on objective evaluations. [9][10][11][12] A simulation-based communications course similar to the one described here could be implemented in other training settings. Key elements enabling the success of simulation-based training include access to qualified, simulated parents; faculty preparation and participation; and dedicated resident time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Experiential Communications Curriculum to Improve Resident Preparedness When Responding to Discriminatory Comments in the Workplace

March

Walker

Toto

et al. 2018

Journal of Graduate Medical Education

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiential Communications Curriculum to Improve Resident Preparedness When Responding to Discriminatory Comments in the Workplace

March

Walker

Toto

et al. 2018

Journal of Graduate Medical Education

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“…Findings from this needs assessment survey will be used to inform and modify our program’s existing communication skills training (CST) to specifically address DPEs. Survey items regarding training preferences take into consideration educational methods supported by learning theory relevant to CST (simulation, clinical practice, role modeling, reflective practice, discussion, and lecture) [ 9 - 10 ]. The CST curricula can range from general communication skills to specialized skills (such as genetic counseling), depending upon the program’s needs [ 9 - 13 ], and can improve physicians' communication skills when training includes standardized patient (SP) encounters and role play [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Difficult Patient Encounters: Assessing Pediatric Residents' Communication Skills Training Needs

Collins

Hopkins

Shilkofski

et al. 2018

Cureus

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IntroductionDifficult patient encounters (DPEs) are common and can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction among healthcare providers. Pediatric resident physician experiences with DPEs and curricula for enhancing necessary communication skills have not been well described.Materials and methodsWe used a cross-sectional survey research design for our needs assessment on resident experiences with DPEs. Thirty-three pediatric residents completed this anonymous survey. The survey assessed residents’ experiences with and self-efficacy regarding DPEs. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Additionally, two authors independently coded free response data to include in the narrative description of the survey results.ResultsThese survey results include the views of 92% of the residents in the program (33/36). Residents reported a greater frequency of difficult encounters in the inpatient setting than the outpatient setting. The majority of residents rated their communication skills during DPEs as “fair” or “good” (70%, 23/33). Residents tended to have lower confidence when discussing chronic pain, managing parental insistence on a plan, and breaking bad news. They generally reported higher levels of anxiety for scenarios involving angry patients and families, families insisting on a plan, and when breaking bad news. Residents cited many challenges, including working with angry and demanding families. Additionally, residents described difficulty with managing discordant opinions between the family and the healthcare team regarding the care plan. Residents expressed a preference for learning how to manage challenging patient encounters using clinical experiences. Simulation, discussion, and observation of role models also rated highly as educational methods for increasing skills, while most residents rated lectures as the least important means of training skills for these difficult encounters.DiscussionWe found that pediatric residents experience difficult encounters frequently, especially in the inpatient setting. Individual residents vary in their confidence and anxiety levels with different types of difficult encounters and may benefit from not only general communication skills training, but also from targeted training to equip them for the particular contexts they find most challenging. Residents value interactive structured learning activities, including discussion and simulation. Residents most consistently value the opportunity to lead challenging conversations in the clinical setting, especially when followed by effective debriefing and feedback by trained faculty preceptors.ConclusionsNext steps include creating a “Difficult Encounters” communication skills curriculum informed by this needs assessment, which aim to enhance patient care as well as increase resident self-efficacy. In addition to the curriculum development for residents, it may be helpful to initiate faculty development on how to supervise resident-led difficult conversations and provide effective debriefing and feedback to...

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“…These unmet needs mirror the known difficulties in delivering educational experiences to help trainees achieve competence in required skills when programs do not have a standardized implementation model. 8 One such example of a successful standardized model is the I-PASS handoff curriculum, which was developed to specifically standardize handover communication. This tool was made widely available and studied and thus has accumulated validity evidence.…”

Section: T a G G E D H 2 Qualitative Resultst A G G E D E N Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Residents in pediatrics perceive competence in communication skills as important and an educational priority yet feel inadequately prepared, particularly for difficult conversations. 7,8 Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education clearly prioritizes interpersonal communication skills as one of its core competencies and requires residents to achieve competence in this area, 9 residency training programs may measure competence differently, creating the potential for inconsistent education and assessment in this critical skill. It is unknown the degree to which different pediatric residency programs teach and assess competence in communication skills and if programs have unmet needs in this area.…”

Section: T a G G E D P Effective Communication In Medicine Is Criticamentioning

confidence: 99%

Look Who's Talking: A Survey of Pediatric Program Directors on Communication Skills Education in Pediatric Residency Programs

Reed¹,

Frey-Vogel²,

Frost³

2020

Academic Pediatrics

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OBJECTIVE: To determine current practices for communication skills curriculum and assessment in pediatric residency programs and to identify programs' greatest needs regarding communication curricula and assessment. METHODS: We surveyed pediatric residency program directors about their programs' approach to teaching and assessing residents' communication skills and how satisfied they were with their curricula and assessment of competence. Respondents were asked about their programs' greatest needs for teaching and assessing communication skills. RESULTS: Response rate was 41% (82/202). Most programs did teach communication skills to residents; only 14% provided no formal training. Programs identified various 1) educational formats for teaching communication skills, 2) curricular content, and 3) assessment methods for determining competence. Many programs were less than satisfied with their curriculum and the accuracy of their assessments. The greatest programmatic need regarding curricula was time, while the greatest need for assessment was a tool. CONCLUSIONS: While teaching and assessment of communication skills is common in pediatric residency programs, it is inconsistent and variable, and many programs are not satisfied with their current communication training. There is need for development of and access to appropriate and useful curricula as well as a practical tool for assessment which has been evaluated for validity evidence.

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Development of a Comprehensive Communication Skills Curriculum for Pediatrics Residents

Abstract: Background Effective communication is an essential element of medical care and a priority of medical education. Specific interventions to teach communication skills are at the discretion of individual residency programs.

Cited by 21 publications

References 32 publications

Experiential Communications Curriculum to Improve Resident Preparedness When Responding to Discriminatory Comments in the Workplace

Experiential Communications Curriculum to Improve Resident Preparedness When Responding to Discriminatory Comments in the Workplace

Difficult Patient Encounters: Assessing Pediatric Residents' Communication Skills Training Needs

Look Who's Talking: A Survey of Pediatric Program Directors on Communication Skills Education in Pediatric Residency Programs

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