Hilariously Bad News: Medical Improv as a Novel Approach to Teach Communication Skills for Bad News Disclosure

Stephanie K Kukora; Brittany Batell; Rachel Umoren; Megan M Gray; Nithin Ravi; Christopher Thompson; Brian J Zikmund-Fisher

doi:10.1016/j.acap.2020.05.003

Hilariously Bad News: Medical Improv as a Novel Approach to Teach Communication Skills for Bad News Disclosure

Acad Pediatr. 2020 Aug;20(6):879-881. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2020.05.003. Epub 2020 May 7.

Authors

Stephanie K Kukora¹, Brittany Batell², Rachel Umoren³, Megan M Gray³, Nithin Ravi⁴, Christopher Thompson⁵, Brian J Zikmund-Fisher⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CS Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan (S Kukora and B Batell), Ann Arbor, Mich; Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan (S Kukora and BJ Zikmund-Fisher), Ann Arbor, Mich. Electronic address: skukora@med.umich.edu.
² Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, CS Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan (S Kukora and B Batell), Ann Arbor, Mich.
³ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington (R Umoren and MM Gray), Seattle, Wash; Seattle Children's Hospital (R Umoren and MM Gray), Seattle, Wash.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (N Ravi), Pittsburgh, Pa.
⁵ University of Michigan Medical School (C Thompson), Ann Arbor, Mich.
⁶ Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan (S Kukora and BJ Zikmund-Fisher), Ann Arbor, Mich; University of Michigan School of Public Health (BJ Zikmund-Fisher), Ann Arbor, Mich.

PMID: 32389759
DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2020.05.003

Abstract

A targeted, improv-based exercise was developed as a novel skills training approach to bad news disclosure for medical professionals and trainees, focusing on specific characteristics that influence these conversations including nature of the bad news, implications, personal responsibility, and status differences.

Keywords: communication; disclosure; improvisation; medical education.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Communication
Education, Medical, Graduate / methods*
Emotions
Humans
Internship and Residency
Physician-Patient Relations*
Truth Disclosure*