A Brief Communication Curriculum Improves Resident and Nurse Communication Skills and Patient Satisfaction
- PMID: 30997637
- PMCID: PMC6614524
- DOI: 10.1007/s11606-019-04951-6
A Brief Communication Curriculum Improves Resident and Nurse Communication Skills and Patient Satisfaction
Abstract
Background: Despite the ever-expanding role that the patient experience plays in healthcare, effective strategies proven to increase patient satisfaction ratings remain scarce. At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, we identified patient-doctor and patient-nurse communication as an area for intervention to improve suboptimal patient satisfaction among medicine inpatients. We posited that the likely reasons for underperformance in this area were a lack of adequate training in bedside communication skills.
Design: We developed and evaluated a curriculum for medicine residents and nurses focused on clear communication at the bedside. A total of 76 internal medicine residents and 85 medical service nurses participated in 2016. The curriculum utilized didactics, video demonstrations, and role play, and was evaluated using pre- and post-surveys of participants' health literacy knowledge, attitudes, and confidence. Communication skills were evaluated using pre- and post-direct observation at the bedside with a communication skills checklist. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores were compared 3 months before and after the curriculum to assess changes in patient satisfaction.
Key results: Knowledge and attitudes improved significantly for both residents and nurses. Residents' and nurses' observed clinical communication skills improved significantly in most domains, and there was moderate increase in communication-specific HCAHPS scores.
Conclusion: A small investment of curricular time devoted to clear communication skills improved residents' and medical nurses' knowledge, attitudes, skills, and communication-specific HCAHPS scores. This curriculum, focused on improving bedside communication skills, could be implemented in a variety of settings to improve patient satisfaction and patient experience.
Keywords: communication skills; health literacy; medical education; medical education–curriculum development/evaluation; patient satisfaction.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.
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