Improving Communication Competencies in Neonatology: A Multimodal Simulation-Based Palliative Care Workshop

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• Simulation-based Learning

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial in critical care, especially when discussing end-of-life care and delivering bad news.
• Trainees often lack formal education in communication skills for end-of-life care.
• A structured curriculum can enhance physician-patient relationships and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a simulation-based palliative care workshop on clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, and communication skills.
• The workshop integrated simulated medical cases with challenging conversations.
• The goal was to mirror real-life critical care scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Three simulation scenarios were conducted, involving high-fidelity mannequins and actors portraying parents.
• Participants' attitudes, knowledge, and communication skills were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
• Subjective and objective measures were used, with data analyzed via chi-square and paired-sample t-tests.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two participants completed the workshop, showing significant improvement in verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Competency in delivering bad news, discussing death, and disclosing medical errors improved.
• Improvements were noted between the first and second simulation cases.

Conclusions:

• An integrative palliative care workshop enhanced clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, and communication skills.
• The approach realistically reflects critical care complexities.
• This training should be incorporated to improve clinician preparedness for intense clinical scenarios.