Communication Skills Discussion Examples

The Communication Video Examples includes four distinct communication scenarios related to care of seriously ill patients:

• Giving Bad News
• Setting Care Goals • Discussing DNR Orders
• Discussing Hospice Care

Each of the first three scenarios presents a poorly done example followed by an example incorporating many of the recommended communication steps. The Hospice care discussion only presents a “good” discussion.

You can move directly to the individual scenarios using the following video times:

Using the video examples:

1. Use the “poor” examples at the start of a teaching program—the audience can be
   asked to identify all the poor features; it is a good icebreaker exercise before
   moving on to role playing.
2. Use the “good” examples as a starting point for practicing each individual
   communication skills. Many clinicians have never seen a conversation that
   includes many of the recommended features.

Source
This video was produced at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1999 under a grant from the Eastern Area Health Education Center. David Weissman, MD and Sandra Muchka, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, members of the MCW Palliative Care Center and Froedtert Hospital Palliative Care Consultation Team, role played the scenarios. This video and other supporting material was used as a curriculum resource for the National End of Life Residency Education Project (1997-2004). Users will see that the videos are old with a poorly chosen soundtrack and some extraneous noises (squeaky chair). Nonetheless, they can be used successfully to illustrate good and bad communication skills to aid learners working to improve their skills.

David E. Weissman, MD