A Communications Bundle to Improve Satisfaction for Critically Ill Patients and Their Families: A Prospective, Cohort Pilot Study.

Context: Communication skills training with simulated patients is used by many academic centers, but how to translate skills learned in simulated settings to improve communication in real encounters has not been described.

Objectives: We developed a communications bundle to facilitate skill transfer from simulation to real encounters and improve patient and/or family satisfaction with physician communication. We tested the feasibility of its use in our hospital's medical intensive care unit (MICU).

Impact of a Simulation-Based Communication Workshop on Resident Preparedness for End-of-Life Communication in the Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction. Although residents frequently lead end-of-life (EOL) discussions in the intensive care unit (ICU), training in EOL care during residency has been required only recently, and few educational interventions target EOL communication in the ICU. This study evaluated a simulation-based intervention designed to improve resident EOL communication skills with families in the ICU.