title: The forgotten educational needs of the house staff: training internal medicine residents to address end-of-life issues.
abstract: An intervention was conducted, aimed at providing residents in internal medicine with communication skills to address end-of-life issues with patients. Residents participated in two 1-hour educational sessions designed to teach a communication protocol, enhance listening skills, and to provide practice in effective communication in a safe, small-group format. An anonymous on-line survey assessed the effectiveness of the intervention. Twenty-five residents completed the intervention. There was a trend toward increased comfort level in addressing end-of-life issues among residents who completed the intervention, versus a comparison group. Residents who completed the intervention reported that using the words "death" and "dying" with patients and families was an important teaching point.
authors: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007, USA. slm36@gunet.georgetown.edu
authors: Sara Moore
authors: SM
authors: Kerai
authors: Margot
authors: M
authors: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055815:Young Adult