1/ Are you struggling to get buy-in from learners/administrators who prioritize learning "real medicine" (i.e. medical knowledge) > "soft skills" (e.g. patient-physician communication)?
Then this 🧵 is for you!
This week I highlight the importance of the so-called "soft skills"
Then this 🧵 is for you!
This week I highlight the importance of the so-called "soft skills"
2/ This week, we are continuing our discussion about opportunities for inpatient teaching during rounds with a focus on communication.
This will be a 3-week series on patient-physician communication, and this week we will highlight WHY it’s important to teach.
This will be a 3-week series on patient-physician communication, and this week we will highlight WHY it’s important to teach.
3/ As poignantly stated by Robin Williams in the movie Patch Adams...
"You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”
youtube.com
"You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”
youtube.com
4/ And this systematic review highlights that communication interventions have been shown to:
⬆️ Patient health outcomes
⬆️ Patient experience
⬇️ Cost of care
⬆️ Clinician experience
link.springer.com
⬆️ Patient health outcomes
⬆️ Patient experience
⬇️ Cost of care
⬆️ Clinician experience
link.springer.com
5/ First, communication interventions improve health outcomes.
Here's one example of a study demonstrating that a communication intervention decreased inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions:
academic.oup.com
Here's one example of a study demonstrating that a communication intervention decreased inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions:
academic.oup.com
6/ Second, communication interventions have been shown to improve the patient experience.
This is one study demonstrating the impact of clinician communication training on patient satisfaction:
link.springer.com
This is one study demonstrating the impact of clinician communication training on patient satisfaction:
link.springer.com
7/ Third, communication interventions have been shown to decrease the cost of care, although the data here is mixed.
Reasons for decreased cost of care include avoiding unnecessary diagnostic tests & prescriptions or through improved health outcomes.
Reasons for decreased cost of care include avoiding unnecessary diagnostic tests & prescriptions or through improved health outcomes.
8/ Here's one article demonstrating lower costs due to less diagnostic testing: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
And this study shows lower costs (& improved quality of life) in the last week of life among those pts who had end of life discussions w/ clinicians.
jamanetwork.com
And this study shows lower costs (& improved quality of life) in the last week of life among those pts who had end of life discussions w/ clinicians.
jamanetwork.com
9/ Finally, communication interventions have been shown to improve the clinician's experience.
Here's one article showing how a communication intervention improved clinician well-being:
jamanetwork.com
Here's one article showing how a communication intervention improved clinician well-being:
jamanetwork.com
10/ If you're interested in reading more about this topic, check out this book by @DrCalvinChou & @LauraCooleyPhD which outlines
✅ why communication is important (evidence)
✅ fundamental skills
✅ practical application of skills
✅ implementing institutional initiatives
✅ why communication is important (evidence)
✅ fundamental skills
✅ practical application of skills
✅ implementing institutional initiatives
11/ In summary, next time someone asks you why it's important to learn and teach communication skills, provide them with evidence regarding how it improves
1⃣ health outcomes
2⃣ patient experience
3⃣ cost of care
4⃣ clinician experience
I guarantee they care about at least one!
1⃣ health outcomes
2⃣ patient experience
3⃣ cost of care
4⃣ clinician experience
I guarantee they care about at least one!
12/ Now that we've discussed WHY learning and teaching communication skills is important, stay tuned next week for @MedEdTwagTeam member @GStetsonMD's thread on foundational communication skills!
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