Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton has introduced providers to a new training program that promotes better communication between patient and provider.
The Communication in Healthcare program is a four-hour course that is being taught to all providers.
The CIH course addresses one-on-one communication skills like mindfulness, reflective listening, information gathering, and setting a joint agenda in every-day interactions with patients and peers.
"The course covers listening skills, and how to gather information from patients efficiently," said Lt. Cmdr. Joselyn Mercadoabadie, NHCP's Communication in Healthcare director. "It also covers relationship centered care, with the goal of most effectively connecting with others so that we can convey our compassion."
Medical errors continue to be the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. and data from the Joint Commission illustrates that communication is frequently cited among the top three root causes of sentinel events.
The curriculum of this course was developed by the Institute for Healthcare Excellence. The course teaches techniques that help express empathy and foster partnerships with patients.
"Patients and providers both want to be heard, understood and considered a part of the healthcare team," said Cmdr. Kelly Elmore, NHCP's director of Healthcare Business, who attended the course. "My biggest take away [from the course] is to use "PEARLS" in the most sincere way and ask the patient how can I help you, then let them speak freely without interruption. If we do all of the above, we will all benefit greatly."
PEARLS is an acronym for Partnership, Empathy, Apology, Respect, Legitimation and Support used to strengthen the way providers communicate, express empathy and foster partnerships with patients.

Fifteen members of NHCP's medical staff were initially trained on the CIH program and, using what they learned, are now facilitating the peer-led course. The first class was taught June 28, 2016.
The CIH program has already been successful at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla. and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Va. in improving patient quality, safety and provider satisfaction, and is now being expanded across the National Capital Region and Westward.
NHCP is the first command within Navy Medicine West to receive this training.


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