Addressing physicians' impaired communication skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Physician Professional Development

Background:

• Physician communication deficiencies can negatively impact patient and colleague relations.
• Existing communication training programs often fail to address specific skill deficits.
• There is a need for effective remediation strategies for inadequate physician communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a coaching model designed to remediate physicians' inadequate communication skills.
• To present outcomes from the initial implementation of this coaching model.

Main Methods:

• A coaching model focusing on discrete communication skills was developed.
• Skills were gradually integrated into professional practice.
• Supportive relationships and process debriefing were integral components.

Main Results:

• Thirteen physicians participated in the standardized coaching approach.
• Participants reported high satisfaction with the coaching (mean Likert score, 6.3).
• Supervisors also reported high satisfaction with the coaching outcomes (mean Likert score, 6.7).

Conclusions:

• The described coaching model effectively improves physician communication skills.
• Further research should explore organizational integration and augmented coaching tools.