Using interactive theater to improve provider-family communication and promote inter-professional education and practice in palliative care

Abstract

Abstract Background Palliative care practice often includes the need for health providers to have difficult conversations with patients and families. These conversations may include discussing diagnoses, prognoses, test results and care options. Purpose This innovative project used interactive theater as a means of teaching undergraduate and graduate health professional students evidence-based methods for delivering difficult health news in health care settings. Method The university partnered with a professional interactive theater company to host a production focused on care team communication and delivery of difficult health news to family caregivers of an older adult experiencing an acute stroke. Discussion The use of this modality allowed audience members to interact with the actors, who remained in character, to discuss the case scenario. Conclusions Audience members were surveyed using an investigator-developed posttest survey instrument, and positive quantitative and qualitative data confirmed the usefulness and feasibility of using interactive theater in educating health professionals.