Assessing team communication with patients' families: Findings from utilizing the Communication Assessment Tool-Team (CAT-T) in an interprofessional error disclosure simulation.

Objective: The CAT-T was incorporated into an interprofessional error disclosure (ED) simulation to assess team communication with a patient family member.

Methods: Interprofessional student groups (n = 55) planned for team-based ED with facilitation by faculty. Students participated in three scenarios of ED with a standardized family member (SFM) who displayed the emotions of sadness, anger, and distrust sequentially. SFMs completed the CAT-T tool for each emotion. CAT-T items were classified as empathy or disclosure skills by factor analysis. Qualitative comments from the SFM were provided during debrief.

Results: Students performed well on team-based ED from the SFM perspective. Team performance improved when the SFM displayed distrust after observing peers disclose for the sad and angry emotion. Higher composite scores were found on CAT-T items categorized as empathy skills.

Conclusions: The ED simulation allowed students to practice disclosure skills in a low-stakes environment and receive feedback from a SFM based on behaviors evaluated on the CAT-T. The simulation design allowed students to improve their performance by incorporating feedback into subsequent cycles.

Practice Implications: Immersive experiences where observable student behaviors can be assessed are important to enhance IPE curriculum and to build skills in pre-licensure students that will be foundational for collaborative practice.