An article in NEJM Catalyst reports:

“Effective clinician-patient communication is essential for high-quality care and is linked to better patient adherence and greater satisfaction for both patients and clinicians. Direct one-on-one coaching has the potential to improve clinician-patient communication as well as clinician and patient satisfaction compared with other techniques commonly used. We tested its effectiveness in a randomized controlled trial of 62 clinicians at Duke University School of Medicine.

“High-quality care depends on effective communication between clinicians and patients. Effective communication comprises several components of patient-centered communication, including exchanging information, enabling patient self-management, and managing emotions.

“Robust evidence links effective communication to important patient outcomes, such as better adherence to instructions, greater satisfaction, and fewer malpractice suits.

“Further, evidence shows links between communication and clinician satisfaction. Satisfied clinicians are less likely to depart from an already understaffed workforce and make fewer medical errors….

“We found that the coaching improved patient satisfaction ratings and clinician communication skills. Coaching represents a method of teaching that requires little clinician time and seems to have a positive impact. This is consistent with a recently published study that showed that four coaching sessions had a greater impact on oncologist communication than just one.”

To read the article, please hit this link.