Improving the Procedure of Delivering Serious News: Impact of a Six-Month Curriculum for Second Year Pediatric Residents

Objective: We implemented and studied a novel curriculum that combined role play, didactic education, and the use of a procedure card for asynchronous learning to improve second-year pediatric residents’ skills in delivering serious news. Design: Phase 1 established baseline performance with a self-efficacy survey and observed simulation delivering serious news. Phase 2 included directed education of participants with a validated communication skills training framework. During Phase 3, participants were instructed to review the communication procedure card as a just-in-time reference prior to delivering serious news to patients and their families over 6 months. Following this period, participants completed a second self-efficacy survey and engaged in another observed simulation session delivering serious news. Pre and post intervention performance and self-efficacy were compared. Results: A total of 21 out of 26 (81%) participants completed all phases of this study. Participants had a statistically significant increase (p <.001) in self-efficacy scores post-intervention compared to pre-intervention for each of the skills to effectively deliver serious news: assess understanding, communicate news clearly, allow for silence, respond to emotion, and equip for next steps. Additionally, investigator assessments of participants showed an overall statistically significant improvement (p <.001) in all five communication skills post intervention compared to pre intervention. Conclusions: This curriculum resulted in significantly improved self-efficacy and observed ratings of communication skills in second-year pediatric residents over a 6-month period.