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. OBJECTIVE: We developed the Resident Communication Skills Curriculum (RCSC), a formal curriculum designed to teach trainees the communication skills essential for high-quality practice. METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group contributed to the development of the RCSC, guided by an institutional needs assessment, literature review, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. The result was a cohesive curriculum that incorporates didactic, role play, and real-life experiences over the course of the entire training period. Methods to assess curricular outcomes included self-reporting, surveys, and periodic faculty evaluations of the residents. RESULTS: Curricular components have been highly rated by residents (3.95-3.97 based on a 4-point Likert scale), and residents' self-reported communication skills demonstrated an improvement over the course of residency in the domains of requesting a consultation, providing effective handoffs, handling conflict, and having difficult conversations (intern median 3.0, graduate median 4.0 based on a 5-point Likert scale, P ≤ .002). Faculty evaluations of residents have also demonstrated improvement over time (intern median 3.0, graduate median 4.5 based on a 5-point Likert scale, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, integrated communication skills curriculum for pediatrics residents was implemented, with a multistep evaluative process showing improvement in skills over the course of the residency program. Positive resident evaluations and informal comments from faculty support its general acceptance. The use of existing resources makes this curriculum feasible.
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. OBJECTIVE: We developed the Resident Communication Skills Curriculum (RCSC), a formal curriculum designed to teach trainees the communication skills essential for high-quality practice. METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group contributed to the development of the RCSC, guided by an institutional needs assessment, literature review, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies. The result was a cohesive curriculum that incorporates didactic, role play, and real-life experiences over the course of the entire training period. Methods to assess curricular outcomes included self-reporting, surveys, and periodic faculty evaluations of the residents. RESULTS: Curricular components have been highly rated by residents (3.95-3.97 based on a 4-point Likert scale), and residents' self-reported communication skills demonstrated an improvement over the course of residency in the domains of requesting a consultation, providing effective handoffs, handling conflict, and having difficult conversations (intern median 3.0, graduate median 4.0 based on a 5-point Likert scale, P ≤ .002). Faculty evaluations of residents have also demonstrated improvement over time (intern median 3.0, graduate median 4.5 based on a 5-point Likert scale, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, integrated communication skills curriculum for pediatrics residents was implemented, with a multistep evaluative process showing improvement in skills over the course of the residency program. Positive resident evaluations and informal comments from faculty support its general acceptance. The use of existing resources makes this curriculum feasible.
Authors: Christoph Nikendei; Hans Martin Bosse; Katja Hoffmann; Andreas Möltner; Rabea Hancke; Corinna Conrad; Soeren Huwendiek; Georg F Hoffmann; Wolfgang Herzog; Jana Jünger; Jobst-Hendrik Schultz Journal: Patient Educ Couns Date: 2010-02-09
Authors: A Liénard; I Merckaert; Y Libert; I Bragard; N Delvaux; A-M Etienne; S Marchal; J Meunier; C Reynaert; J-L Slachmuylder; D Razavi Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2010-07-13 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Alison M Bays; Ruth A Engelberg; Anthony L Back; Dee W Ford; Lois Downey; Sarah E Shannon; Ardith Z Doorenbos; Barbara Edlund; Phyllis Christianson; Richard W Arnold; Kim O'Connor; Erin K Kross; Lynn F Reinke; Laura Cecere Feemster; Kelly Fryer-Edwards; Stewart C Alexander; James A Tulsky; J Randall Curtis Journal: J Palliat Med Date: 2013-11-01 Impact factor: 2.947
Authors: I Merckaert; A Liénard; Y Libert; I Bragard; N Delvaux; A-M Etienne; S Marchal; J Meunier; C Reynaert; J-L Slachmuylder; D Razavi Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2013-10-15 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Melanie C Marsh; Suzanne M Reed; John D Mahan; Lydia Schneider; Ashley K Fernandes; Nancy Liao; Isaac Spears; Stephanie Lauden Journal: J Med Educ Curric Dev Date: 2021-10-04
Authors: Dimitrios Papanagnou; Matthew R Klein; Xiao Chi Zhang; Kenzie A Cameron; Amanda Doty; Danielle M McCarthy; Kristin L Rising; David H Salzman Journal: Adv Simul (Lond) Date: 2021-07-22