P3D133: Via Zoom or in the Room? Comparing Efficacy of a Pediatric Intern Communication Workshop in Virtual vs In-person Formats

Background: Ineffective communication is a leading cause of medical errors and patient harm. Communication training is invaluable in medical education but can be logistically challenging and resource intense. There is value in identifying efficient, effective ways to deliver this essential content. Our goal was to compare the efficacy of a virtual vs in-person communication simulation workshop improving pediatric interns’ confidence and use of evidence-based communication tools (EBCT).

Methods: An initial needs assessment of pediatric residents determined that delivering difficult news and de-escalation strategies were communication skills that required more dedicated training. We developed a workshop for interns that included didactic videos on EBCT, two simulated standardized patient encounters with direct feedback addressing the targeted content, and a facilitated debrief with content experts. In 2021, the workshop was virtual. In 2022, it was in-person. Participants assessed their confidence and likelihood of using EBCT via retrospective pre/post Likert scales. Participants also rated the overall quality of various aspects of the workshops and reported lessons learned. Mann Whitney U analysis assessed for changes pre/post workshops and post virtual vs in-person formats. Reported lessons learned were assessed by content analysis.

Results: 33 interns participated in the virtual workshop 2021 and 28 in the in-person workshop in 2022. Confidence and likelihood to use EBCT increased post both formats, with no difference seen post virtual vs post in-person formats (Figure 1,2). No difference was seen in participants’ ratings of the overall quality of the workshop, facilitators, or cases in the virtual vs in-person format. Lessons learned from both groups focused on similar themes of the use and application of EBCT. Both years, participants expressed preference for in-person over virtual formats (72% in 2021, 94% in 2022).

Conclusion: Both virtual and in-person formats of the simulation communication workshop were associated with improved confidence and likelihood of pediatric interns using EBCT. The non-inferiority of the virtual formal suggests this could be utilized in settings with limited on-site resources, including facilitators and standardized patients, or settings with remote sites where virtual options may increase the feasibility of implementation. Given the in-person preference, there may be other aspects better addressed in-person, including non-verbal communication. Next steps include assessing long-term retention/utilization of these skills following virtual vs in-person formats.