Evidence for the Approach

“The course was transformative for my practice…
Just today, I saw a complex patient who had previously seen a surgeon who did not think surgery was indicated. The patient was able to clearly outline the specific technical details of the operation, but they came to see me for a second opinion because they did not have a firm grasp on how the operation would impact them practically. With the help of the skills I learned in the course, I was able to effectively and rapidly address her concerns and explain why the operation would not improve their quality of life.”
Dr. Abhisek Parmar, University of Alabama Birmingham
Curriculum Content
Attending to Emotion
What I Wish I Had Done for a Grieving Father | New England Journal of Medicine
The Two-Minute Rant
- Rant and Reframe: An exercise in Empathy, Davis K. (n.d.)
- No Joke: The serious role of improv in medicine, Mahoney S.
Heads Up/Headline and Avoiding the Cognitive Trap
Supporting Deliberation
- Better Conversations for Better Informed Consent: Talking with Surgical Patients – PubMed
- Innovations in Surgical Communication JAMA Surgery Series
- Innovations in Surgical Communication—Provide Your Opinion, Don’t Hide It | JAMA Surgery
- Innovations in Surgical Communication 2—Focus on the Goals of Surgery | JAMA Surgery
- Innovations in Surgical Communication 3—Promote Deliberation, Not Technical Education | JAMA Surgery
- Innovations in Surgical Communication 4—Present the Downsides of Surgery, Not Just Risks | JAMA Surgery
Managing Uncertainty
- Managing Uncertainty — Harnessing the Power of Scenario Planning | New England Journal of Medicine
- A Framework to Improve Surgeon Communication in High-Stakes Surgical Decisions: Best Case/Worst Case – PubMed
- “Best Case/Worst Case”: Training Surgeons to Use a Novel Communication Tool for High-Risk Acute Surgical Problems – PubMed
Communication Needs Assessment
- Training Surgical Residents to Communicate with Their Patients: A Scoping Review of the Literature – PubMed
- Family Survey of Understanding and Communication of Patient Prognosis in the Intensive Care Unit: Identifying Training Opportunities – PubMed
- Teaching Residents Patient-Centered Communication: A Call for Standardized Programming – PubMed
- Patient Perspectives of Surgical Residents’ Communication: Do Skills Improve Over Time With a Communication Curriculum? – PubMed
Podcasts and Interviews
- 7 Habits for Highly Effective Surgery Communication with Dr. Gretchen Schwarze – Behind the Knife: The Surgery Podcast
- Surgical Communication: A Podcast with Gretchen Schwarze, Justin Clapp and Alexis Colley
- Best Case Worst Case Tool: Scenario Planning with Dr. Gretchen Schwarze – Behind the Knife: The Surgery Podcast
Educational Videos
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