59. FAMILY-CENTERED COMMUNICATION: A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESIDENT RESPONSE TO COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Abstract

Background Pediatricians must utilize effective communication skills to establish a relationship with both their patients and their patients’ families. We modified the Erikson Institute Fussy Baby Network's FAN (Facilitating Attuned Interactions) communication tool to teach pediatric residents to communicate with families using an empathy-driven process. Objective Improve pediatric residents’ empathy, communication skills, and mindful self-regulation in their interactions with families. Design Eighteen pediatric residents from 1 institution and 7 pediatric fellows from another were trained to use the FAN Family Communication Tool to guide their clinical encounters and were followed for 6 months. At 3 time points (0, 3, and 6 months) patients completed the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) and the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) surveys, and trainees completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE) and the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS). At the end of the study 11 residents and mentors were interviewed, and transcripts were coded on NVivo software using open and focused coding. Results Residents demonstrated a rise in scores on the JSPE (p=0.044) and the KIMS (p Conclusions Family-centered communication training can improve physician-perceived empathy and mindfulness. Trainees used the FAN to develop a comprehensive view of a family's concerns by understanding and engaging with their emotions. Improved self-awareness allowed trainees to process their emotions to reduce stress and improve communication during encounters. Increasing empathetic and mindful interactions during patient encounters could thus improve clinical outcomes and ultimately benefit patient well-being.