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A workshop to teach medical students communication skills and clinical knowledge about end-of-life care

  • Innovations In Education And Clinical Practice
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Abstract

We describe a half-day workshop to teach third-year medical students three focused end-of-life care skills: breaking bad news, discussing advance directives, and assessing and managing pain. Our workshop included a readers’ theater exercise and three role-play exercises. In two of the workshops, faculty members played the role of patients. We used readers’ theater to engage the students on an emotional level and set a reflective tone for the workshop. Evaluations reflected that most respondents felt that the workshop enhanced their understanding and ability to address these skills with patients. By 6 months, many students reported applying these skills to patient care in a way they thought was effective.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga

    Tammie E. Quest MD

  2. the Center for Ethics, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga

    Kathy Kinlaw MDiv

  3. Department of Medicine, Emory University, 49 Jesse Hill Jr Drive, 30303, Atlanta, GA

    Alexia M. Torke MD, J. William Eley MD, MPH & William T. Branch Jr. MD

Authors
  1. Alexia M. Torke MD
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  2. Tammie E. Quest MD
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  3. Kathy Kinlaw MDiv
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  4. J. William Eley MD, MPH
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  5. William T. Branch Jr. MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexia M. Torke MD.

Additional information

This project was supported by a grant from the Courts Foundation, Atlanta, Ga. We wish to thank Tanisha J. Sullivan, BA for coordinating the workshop.

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Torke, A.M., Quest, T.E., Kinlaw, K. et al. A workshop to teach medical students communication skills and clinical knowledge about end-of-life care. J GEN INTERN MED 19, 540–544 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30115.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30115.x

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