PEP Talk Quarterly  January 2018

Challenging Conversations with Patients

PEP participant feedback indicates interest in learning how to apply the communication skills taught in the course to challenging conversations. The next few issues of PEP Talk will feature tips for using relationship-centered skills to support patients through these challenging scenarios: Responding to strong emotions, Breaking bad news, Addressing unmet expectations, Caring for a distrustful patient.

Responding to Strong Emotions When patients are experiencing strong emotions like anger, grief, or fear, it is difficult for them to retain the information you offer or to follow the plan you develop. The Academy on Communication in Healthcare (ACH)offers an evidence-based approach for using the following communication skills to respond to strong emotions: Observe and respond to verbal and non-verbal clues to patient emotions Respond to emotions with empathy statements such as the NURS Explore the sources of patients' intense emotions Calibrate your response to emotions Maintain professional demeanor in the presence of strong emotion Reflect upon your responses to patients' emotions Set limits and boundaries if anger escalates

30 minute overview Full learning module with video demonstrations

From Our Patients' Perspective Patient comment about April 2017 PEP workshop attendee Dr. Danielle Baek Dr. Baek is a genuinely caring doctor who listens and respects my feelings and my concerns. I trust her with my care. - Patient of University of Maryland Physicians, 12/12/17

Email the PEP Team to share your experience with using the PEP skills, or to provide additional feedback about the workshop.

UM SOM PEP Certified Facilitator Team :  Samra Blanchard, MD; Sally Cheston, MD; Robert (Dobbin) Chow, MD; Sharon Feinstein, MD; Cortney Foster, DO; Nader Hanna, MBBCh; Janaki Kuruppu, MD; Connie Lacap, DO; Joe Martinez, MD; Ada Offurum, MD; Phillip Panzarella, MD; Joyce Phillip, MA; David Schwartz, MD; Semhar Tewelde, MD; Donald Thompson, MD; Rukiya Wongus, MHA

Tools & Resources to Sharpen Your PEP Skills Articles Patient-Centered Communication: Basic Skills SPIKES-A Six-Step Protocol for Delivering Bad News: Application to the Patient with Cancer Breaking Bad News Managing Difficult Encounters: Understanding Physician, Patient, and Situational Factors Clinicians’ strategies for managing their emotions during difficult healthcare conversations Free DocCom Video Modules Build the Relationship Responding to Strong Emotions: Sadness, Anger, Fear Delivering Bad News Effective Clinical Teaching You, Me & the Computer Makes Three: How to Integrate the Computer in the Exam Room for Optimal Patient Experience Online Resources American Academy on Communication in HealthCare Michigan State University Biopsychosocial and Patient-Centered Programs Center for Communication in Medicine - A Division of the Institute of Medical Humanism The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare