Can interactive skills-based seminars with standardized patients enhance clinicians' prevention skills? Measuring the impact of a CME program.
OBJECTIVE
Communication skills are crucial for high-risk behavior screening and counseling. Practicing physicians have limited opportunities to improve these skills. This paper assesses the impact of a continuing medical education (CME) program for Student Health Center clinicians that targeted communication skills, screening practices and patient satisfaction.


METHODS
Program evaluation included pre- and post-objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE's), chart review, and provider and patient satisfaction surveys. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and ranked sum tests.


RESULTS
OSCE scores (n=15) revealed significant improvements in communication skills overall (p=0.004) and within specific domains (data gathering: p=0.003; rapport building: p=0.01; patient education: p=0.02), but no change in case-specific knowledge (p=0.1). Participants (n=14) reported high satisfaction with program methods (mean=4.6/5) and content (mean=4.7/5), 70% planning to alter their clinical practice. Chart audits (pre=96, post=103) showed increased screening for smoking (RR 1.65, p=0.03), depressed mood (RR 1.40, p=0.04), anhedonia (RR 1.47, p=0.01), sexual activity (RR 1.73, p=0.002) and drinking (RR 1.77, p=0.04). Sampling of satisfaction among participants' patients (pre n=689, post n=383) detected no increase in already high baseline satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
This curriculum improved clinicians' relevant skills and screening behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
Skills-oriented CME can improve clinicians' communication skills and screening and counseling practices.
Zabar
Sondra
S
New York University School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. sondra.zabar@nyumc.org
Hanley
Kathleen
K
Stevens
David L
DL
Ciotoli
Carlo
C
Hsieh
Amy
A
Griesser
Cecily
C
Anderson
Marian
M
Kalet
Adina
A
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003479:Curriculum; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation