Teaching advocacy communication to pediatric residents: the efficacy of applied improvisational theater (AIT) as an instructional tool

ABSTRACT

In today’s communication landscape, the public often turn to the Internet and social media instead of their physician for health information. To remain relevant and respected amidst the wealth of health information available online, physicians need to offer something the Internet cannot fully emulate: empathetic imagination and an ability to instantaneously tailor messages to reach and teach worried and often confused audiences effectively. We developed an instructional communication module for pediatric residents that used applied improvisational theater to help residents develop complex and dynamic communication skills. The module included opportunities to develop empathy, practice audience analysis, distill messages to key points, and apply these skills in media and community contexts. Attendees completed surveys regarding their perceptions of curricular structure, efficacy, and utility. Preliminary results indicate gains in communication confidence and skills. This type of instructional communication and training module encourages healthcare practitioners to position themselves as trusted experts and partners in helping clients make meaning of health information, thus empowering a new generation of pediatricians to bridge communication gaps created by new technologies and increased access to multiple information sources.

KEYWORDS:

• applied improvisational theater
• communication education
• instructional communication
• health communication

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and editors for their comments, which greatly improved the manuscript.

ORCID

Krista Hoffmann-Longtin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5625-3977

Jason M. Organ http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8462-0271

Elizabeth Weinstein http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6074-0604

Notes

1 The survey was developed for program assessment purposes and would need further refinement and validation if it were to be used in the future for additional research purposes.

2 The full surveys are available from the first author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.