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ABSTRACT
Factors such as time pressure, distractions, and profession-specific jargon can contribute to poor communication in complex working environments such as healthcare. Technical solutions are often sought to improve patient care when simple improvements in communication would suffice. This article describes an icebreaker activity, an interprofessional game, aimed to prime and engage experienced healthcare professionals on the topic of communication, specifically related to care transitions. By using unexpected content from veterinary care, cycling messages rapidly, and by adding distractors, we were successful in creating openness to considering communication needs in new ways. Participants completed an evaluation following this intervention. It was found that the activity was effective at raising awareness of communication problems and the activity caused participants to view care transitions communications in new ways. In particular, it was reported that this activity illustrated opportunities for communication improvement at multiple levels including peer-to-peer and with patients. This interprofessional activity can illustrate communication barriers, both within and beyond healthcare, in an interactive and engaging manner.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Dr Bill Berry and Lizzie Edmondson from Ariadne Labs, a joint centre between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, whose version of the telephone game (used in the Safe Surgery: 2015 SC initiative to demonstrate the value of closed loop communication) inspired the development of the version presented in this article.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.