title: Medical improvisation training to enhance the antenatal counseling skills of neonatologists and neonatal fellows: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neonatologists must be skilled at providing antenatal counseling to expectant parents of premature infants at the limits of viability. We conducted a medical improvisation workshop with the objective of enhancing antenatal counseling skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre- and postworkshop questionnaires were collected to examine the impact of the training. A follow-up survey was distributed 3 months after the workshop to examine the impact of the training on antenatal counseling skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine neonatologists and three neonatal fellows participated in the workshop. Participants reported the skills learned in the workshop could enhance the quality of antenatal counseling. On follow-up survey, 90% of subjects reported improvements in the quality of their antenatal counseling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in a medical improvisation workshop resulted in enhancements of self-perceived antenatal counseling skills. Medical improvisation training may provide a feasible and effective method of communication training for neonatologists. Further research into this innovative method are needed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Division of Neonatology, University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle , WA , USA and.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.affiliation: b Department of Family Medicine , University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle , WA , USA.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Division of Neonatology, University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle , WA , USA and.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Division of Neonatology, University of Washington School of Medicine , Seattle , WA , USA and.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Umoren
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D005260:Female; D005328:Fetal Viability; D006801:Humans; D007234:Infant, Premature; D000072156:Neonatologists / Q000193:education*; D009359:Neonatology / Q000193:education*; D010290:Parents; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Medical improvisation; antenatal counseling; improvisational medicine; improvisational theater; medical improv; neonatal counseling; prenatal counseling