Display options
Cite
Lown BA, Sasson JP, Hinrichs P. Patients as partners in radiology education: an innovative approach to teaching and assessing patient-centered communication. Acad Radiol. 2008;15(4):425-32doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001.
Lown, B. A., Sasson, J. P., & Hinrichs, P. (2008). Patients as partners in radiology education: an innovative approach to teaching and assessing patient-centered communication. Academic radiology, 15(4), 425-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001
Lown, Beth A, et al. "Patients as partners in radiology education: an innovative approach to teaching and assessing patient-centered communication." Academic radiology vol. 15,4 (2008): 425-32. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001
Lown BA, Sasson JP, Hinrichs P. Patients as partners in radiology education: an innovative approach to teaching and assessing patient-centered communication. Acad Radiol. 2008 Apr;15(4):425-32. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001. PMID: 18342766.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Acad Radiol. 2008 Apr;15(4):425-32. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001.

Patients as partners in radiology education: an innovative approach to teaching and assessing patient-centered communication.

Academic radiology

Beth A Lown, J Pierre Sasson, Peg Hinrichs

Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Mount Auburn Hospital, 300 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. [email protected]

PMID: 18342766 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2007.12.001

Abstract

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Effective communication is essential for high quality care, yet little is known about radiologists' communication with patients, what constitutes "best communication practices," and how best to teach and evaluate it. We piloted educational strategies and an assessment instrument to teach and evaluate radiologists' communication skills. We focused on communication in the diagnostic mammography suite, where patient-radiologist interactions are often intense and stressful.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We adapted existing instruments to create a Radiology Communication Skills Assessment Tool (RCSAT). We piloted an educational program that included patients as teachers and raters of interpersonal and communication skills, and implemented a radiology objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). We measured radiology residents' self-assessed skills, confidence and stress, as well as patient-rated communication skills using the RCSAT.

RESULTS: Residents' baseline self-assessed communication skills regarding abnormal mammograms were fair, confidence in their communication was minimal, and they found this communication stressful. Overall baseline communication skills, rated by patient-teachers using the RCSAT, were 3.62 on a 5-point scale (1 = poor to 5 = excellent). Analysis of post-OSCE debriefing comments yielded nine themes regarding effective radiology communication, as well as residents' reflections on the communication challenges they experience. The themes were integrated into subsequent RCSAT revisions. Residents' reflections were used to inform teaching workshops.

CONCLUSION: Educational curricula on communication about difficult information can be implemented in radiology training programs. Radiology residents' performance can be assessed using a communication skills assessment tool during standardized patient-teacher encounters. Further research is necessary in this important domain.

MeSH terms

Publication Types