Effect of a Coaching Intervention to Improve Cardiologist Communication: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Education
• Health Communication

Background:

• Effective communication between cardiologists and patients is crucial for comprehension, adherence, and satisfaction.
• Previous interventions to enhance cardiologist communication skills have not been widely tested.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a communication coaching intervention on cardiologists' evidence-based communication skills.
• To evaluate objective and subjective measures of communication quality in cardiology practice.

Main Methods:

• A 2-arm randomized clinical trial involving 40 cardiologists across outpatient cardiology clinics.
• Intervention group received 3 coaching sessions focusing on motivational interviewing skills, including feedback on recorded patient encounters.
• Objective communication behaviors were coded by blinded assessors; subjective communication was assessed via patient surveys.

Main Results:

• Cardiologists in the intervention group demonstrated increased use of empathic statements and asking "What questions do you have?" compared to the control group.
• A significantly higher ratio of empathic responses to empathic opportunities was observed in the intervention arm.
• No significant differences were found in the use of open-ended questions or reflective statements; patient-reported outcomes were limited by ceiling effects.

Conclusions:

• A communication coaching intervention effectively improved key empathic and question-eliciting behaviors in cardiologists.
• Enhanced empathic communication may positively influence patient experience and comprehension.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the impact on patient-reported outcomes and clinical results in diverse populations.