Training Clinicians with Communication Skills Needed to Match Medical Treatments to Patient Values

Abstract

Most clinicians currently in practice did not receive the evidence-based communication skills training they need to provide high-quality communication for seriously ill older adults and their families. Clinician communication skills are a critical factor in achieving a patient and family understanding of their illness that enables them to share in decision making that will result in medical treatments and social supports that are aligned with their goals and values. Research demonstrates that existing clinician competence in communication skills is extremely variable, that most clinicians need specific communication training to have an adequate level of skill, and that evidence-based training is efficacious. A conservative estimate suggests that more than 219,000 physicians and advance practice providers (APPs) (50% of physicians in high-contact subspecialties and 25% of all APPs) could benefit from training. Combining evidence-based clinician training with health system workflow redesign would likely maximize the impact of this training. We conclude with recommendations designed to address gaps in communication skills through effective training and health system changes in the service of enabling all patients with serious illness and their families to receive care aligned with their personal priorities. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:S435-S441, 2019.

Re-ACT: Remote Advanced Communication Training in a Time of Crisis

“… 1 , 2 The task of communicating to a patient or family that, for example, a desired ventilator is unavailable is not generally addressed in medical education or in existing communication training courses. 3 , 4 , 5 …”

Living and dying with incurable cancer: a qualitative study on older patients’ life values and healthcare professionals’ responsivity

“…This article focuses on how diverse outlooks on life and life values of older adults living with incurable cancer shape their experience of the palliative care phase. HCPs are expected to know and communicate with patients about such issues [5][6][7]. Creating open and understandable communication about life values requires sincere attention to patient stories, which are often interwoven into major illness-related problems [8,9].…”

Public Health and Ethics Intersect at New Levels With Gerontological Nursing in COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Th ese discussions bring to the fore the value of life in the context of distributive justice (White & Lo, 2020). Clinicians face diffi cult conversations and may require additional preparation for these encounters, such as that provided by VitalTalk, a nonprofi t that works to help clinicians communicate better and more compassionately with seriously ill patients and their families (Back et al, 2019).…”