iCELS Physician-Patient Communication Improvement Initiative (PPCI) Lauded by UMass Memorial President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson

WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Sep 9, 2014 - Since March 2014, more than 75 health care providers have participated in the Physician-Patient Communication Improvement Initiative (PPCI), sponsored jointly by the UMass Chan Center and UMass Chan Medical School's Interprofessional Center for Experiential Learning & Simulation (iCELS), with input from the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) to ensure all medical scenarios are as authentic to real life as possible.

In August, 16 more participants attended this physician-patient immersion simulation experience. They included the Medical Center President Patrick Muldoon, Dr. Margaret Hudlin, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Quinlan, Patient Experience Officer, 12 clinical department chairs, and the President and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care Dr. Eric Dickson.

"The extraordinary patient-actors in the program present with all kinds of problems and personalities, ranging from angry to anxious to frustrated and confused," Dr. Eric Dickson recounted. "Our conversations were monitored and recorded to provide instant feedback and afterwards, I was coached on several simple communication techniques, including how to deal with a patient that was about to walk out because we lost her blood sample."

Under the instruction of the PFAC, highly trained patient-actors or Standardized Patients carried out challenging scenarios to help participants achieve their learning objectives for the sessions.

Dr. Eric Dickson, who is also a professor of emergency medicine at the UMass Chan Medical School, mentioned his experience in a blog entitled Every Day Innovators in which he presents initiatives that are “homegrown” at UMass Memorial. The blog also offers examples from other health care organizations and industries to illustrate what works when it comes to improving the process, eliminating the waste and feeling productive and energized by our work.

To visit Dr. Eric Dickson's blog entry "Advice from a Patient", please visit https://everydayinnovators.org/2014/09/09/advice-from-a-patient/ 

For further information please contact iCELS at iCELS@umassmed.edu or Phone: 508-856-5434

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Last updated Sep 9th, 2014