Rehabilitating the Art of Communication: A Novel Curriculum for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residents

• Published in: Journal of pain and symptom management 2024-05, Vol.67 (5), p.e696-e697
• Main Authors: Downer, Kendall, MD, Tan, Debbie, MD, Childers, Julie W., MS MD FAAHPM FASAM
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Pain Medicine
• ISSN: 0885-3924
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.02.167

Outcomes1. Participants will be able to identify the aspects of educational content that are tailored specifically to PM&R residents. 2. Participants will be able to explain the curriculum's educational techniques and the acceptability and usefulness of those techniques to PM&R residents. Key MessageA novel two-hour curriculum on communication skills tailored to scenarios faced by PM&R clinicians is relevant, useful, and effective for PM&R residents, and could be used in PM&R programs that are unable to offer such education due to time and faculty constraints. AbstractBackground: Physiatrists require communication skills for complex medical decision-making, yet a third of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency programs offer no palliative care education, primarily due to shortage of faculty expertise and teaching time (1). ObjectiveTo design, implement and assess a novel communication curriculum tailored to PM&R that incorporates active learning within a 2-hour didactic. MethodsThe curriculum taught two skills, giving headlines and making recommendations, using the format of didactic, demonstration, and drill. Each drills utilized evidence-based teaching techniques of “everybody writes” followed by “turn and talk (2).” The curriculum emphasized giving headlines with a functional prognosis using patient-centered outcomes. To drill recommendations, residents were presented with the patient's values, and asked to synthesize the overarching values and formulate a comprehensive recommendation. Residents were surveyed on the relevancy of the curriculum to PM&R, usefulness of the educational format, and preparedness to perform communication skills before and after the curriculum on a 5-point Likert scale. ResultsOf 20 residents, 100% found the curriculum relevant and appropriate for level of training (≥3 on Likert scale). The didactic, demonstration and drills were useful to 100%, 100% and 95% of residents, respectively (≥3 on Likert scale). Compared to pre-curriculum, average self-reported preparedness (≥3 on Likert scale) increased by 1.4 for giving headlines (p < 0.01) and by 1.5 for making a recommendation (p < 0.01). ConclusionsThe educational format of didactic, demonstration and drill was useful and highly accepted. PM&R residents found the curriculum to be relevant and increased their preparedness to perform both communication skills all while fitting into a busy residency didactic schedule. KeywordsCommunication