Teaching communication and compassionate care skills: an innovative curriculum for pre-clerkship medical students.

BACKGROUND: Physicians require communications training to improve effective and compassionate care. Clinicians discuss challenging communication issues in existing hospital "Schwartz Rounds."

AIMS: To improve communication skills, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University designed "Schwartz Communication Sessions" for the mandatory 2-year pre-clerkship Doctoring course. Alongside learning interviewing, physical examination, and professionalism skills, the new Schwartz curriculum provides medical students with the rationale and proficiency for effective communication with patients, families and the healthcare team.

METHODS: First-year students experience a graduated curriculum of three sessions on themes such as empathy and professionalism using innovative methods. Sessions highlight cases and videos depicting successful and ineffective interactions, large and small group discussions, role play and skills practice, guest patient presentations, and multi-disciplinary panels. The second-year students' session focuses on communications with challenging patients.

RESULTS: Students and faculty rate the sessions highly on effectiveness of enhancing communication skills, gaining perspective in healthcare communication, and appreciating the complexities of healthcare situations. Expansion of the program using case-based sessions for clerkship students is planned for a continuous and graduated experience.

CONCLUSIONS: Integrating a pre-clerkship communications curriculum may help improve future physicians' interactions with patients and families. Implications of this curriculum for medical education are discussed.