Background: Multiple recent studies have demonstrated a link between effective clinician communication and patient experience of care in the hospital. Additionally, at a time of unprecedented rates of clinician burnout, communication challenges can negatively impact hospitalist job satisfaction. Despite this, there are limited proven interventions for improving communication in hospital medicine. A low-cost, high-yield, and work-integrated approach to communication skills development for hospitalists is needed.
Purpose: We developed “Talking Hospitalist,” a professional development program for faculty clinicians designed to integrate self-identified areas of improvement with skills practice utilizing an evidenced-based communication framework.
Description: Within our large academic hospital, the majority of attending hospitalists have previously participated in a foundational 4-hour, interdisciplinary, evidence-based communication skills course. However, there is currently no system in place to sustain improvement around the most important communication needs of hospitalists. We conducted a communication skills needs assessment survey among our hospital medicine faculty (n=43/71, 60% response rate). 44% of clinicians described frustration with patient communication at least once a week, and 67% described frustration communicating with other health care providers at least once a week. Additionally, 89% felt that communication challenges negatively impact their job satisfaction. Surveyed clinicians identified “demanding patients/families,” “behavioral issues,” “pain management,” and “communicating with consultants/colleagues” as their primary areas of communication challenges in the workplace. In order to respond to these needs, we developed the “Talking Hospitalist” professional development series to promote a participant-driven practice of evidence-based communication skills. We designed each of four, 1-hour mid-day sessions to: (1) develop participant-identified ground rules and learning objectives, (2) briefly review evidence-based communication frameworks, and (3) perform observed skills practice with peer feedback around real-life scenarios that participants have recently encountered in their work. Of the nine clinicians who participated in the first session, 100% rated the session as a good use of their time and all were likely to recommend the session to a colleague (average 9.33 on a 10-point scale). Several participants stated that the most valuable part of the session was practicing real-world skills. The remaining three scheduled sessions will include iterative design cycles to increase the number of participants and continue to maximize value.
Conclusions: In an era of high value care, effective communication can impact both patient experience and hospitalist wellbeing. Low-cost, time-efficient, and participant-driven professional development sessions can promote ongoing communication skills development that is specific to hospitalists.