Implementing SAFER Responses to Misconduct and Responding to Biased Patient Requests ASAP

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Communication
• Professional Training
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Healthcare workers face misconduct, discrimination, and harassment.
• Need for consistent and appropriate responses to patient bias and misconduct.
• Development of the Experience Training, Education, and Coaching (XTEC) team to address these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss communication strategies for responding to patient bias and misconduct.
• To introduce the SAFER and ASAP communication strategies.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the SAFER ASAP training program.

Main Methods:

• Developed and delivered SAFER ASAP workshops to 2154 healthcare professionals.
• Conducted 109 face-to-face training sessions over 15 months (Jan 2019-Mar 2020).
• Utilized discussion- and scenario-based training with pre- and post-tests to assess skill attainment.

Main Results:

• 71% of participants demonstrated improved response abilities post-training.
• 92% of respondents would recommend the training to others.
• SAFER ASAP effectively enhanced participants' skills in handling challenging patient interactions.

Conclusions:

• The SAFER ASAP program is an effective communication training intervention.
• The training empowers healthcare professionals to respond to patient and visitor bias and misconduct.
• The program shows significant positive outcomes in skill development and participant satisfaction.