The "RE.COMMUNICATION" training program to optimize medical communication and emotion regulation: lessons learned...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Physician Well-being

Background:

• Effective physician communication and emotion regulation (ER) are crucial for patient care and physician well-being.
• ER skills are often omitted from current medical communication training curricula.
• The need for specialized training to enhance these skills in physicians is evident.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of the 'RE.COMMUNICATION' online synchronous training program for physicians.
• To assess the acceptability, suitability, and implementation aspects of the training.
• To examine preliminary effects on physician communication competence and ER skills (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression).

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was used to assess five feasibility dimensions: recruitment, data collection, resources, implementation, acceptability, and suitability.
• Fifty-two physicians participated in the 8-hour online training program.
• Pre- and post-training assessments were conducted, with follow-up at one month to measure changes in communication competence and ER strategies.

Main Results:

• The training program demonstrated high acceptability and suitability, with participants rating content, relevance, and utility positively.
• Key strengths identified included group dynamics, trainer competence, and practical exercises.
• Physicians showed significant improvements in communication competence and cognitive reappraisal one month post-training; no significant changes in expressive suppression were observed.

Conclusions:

• The 'RE.COMMUNICATION' program is a feasible and well-received training intervention for enhancing physician communication and ER skills.
• The study identified areas for refinement in recruitment, data collection, and implementation for future iterations.
• Findings support the development of a pilot randomized controlled trial to further validate the program's efficacy.