title: Expert communication training for providers in community health centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community health center (CHC) clinicians describe significant challenges in delivering care for populations with complex health needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-workshop series was presented to 102 providers working in CHCs. Training focused on four areas identified through online needs assessment: challenging interactions; patient perspective; health literacy; and motivational interviewing.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective pre-post evaluation measured self-perceived change in content knowledge in all four areas. Participants documented commitments to change behaviors across workshops, which were analyzed for recurring themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paired t-tests documented improvement in all four content areas. Content analysis of commitments yielded four themes: empowering patients, structuring care, understanding patients, and reflecting purposefully. Of the sixty-eight percent of participants responding to post-workshop queries about their commitments (n=70), 94% report having fully implemented changes in practice behavior or planning to do so.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providers at CHCs benefit from opportunities to learn and reflect together about communication challenges in practice.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Mary.Sullivan4@umassmemorial.org
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Heather-Lyn
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Philbin
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kedian
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quirk
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D011361:Professional Competence; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016730:Program Development; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept