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Teaching physicians how to break bad news: a 1-day workshop using standardized parents
V U Vaidya1, L W Greenberg, K M Patel
1Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|April 14, 1999
Summary
A training program using standardized parents (SPs) significantly improved how pediatric intensive care fellows communicate bad news. This study highlights a successful method for enhancing physician communication skills in critical care settings.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Communication Skills Training
Background:
- Effective communication of bad news is crucial in pediatric intensive care.
- Physician performance in delivering difficult news can be variable.
- Standardized patients (SPs) offer a simulated environment for communication skills training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of a training program utilizing standardized parents (SPs) for pediatric intensive care fellows.
- To improve the ability of fellows to communicate critical information to parents.
Main Methods:
- A self-controlled crossover design was employed in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit.
- Seven fellows interacted with two sets of trained SPs in simulated bad news delivery scenarios.
- Performance was evaluated using blinded raters and videotaped sessions with feedback provided by SPs.
Main Results:
- Fellows demonstrated a significant mean improvement of 18.1 points in performance scores between sessions (P = .007).
- Physician performance showed a statistically significant enhancement in the second session (P = .002).
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to show short-term improvement in physician performance for delivering bad news in a pediatric intensive care unit using SPs.
- A 1-day workshop with SPs can effectively enhance physician communication skills in sensitive situations.
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