(18) Comprehensive learning objectives for a core communication curriculum in

        health care professions- the new T-EACH Consensus: Implications for Israel

            Henry Abramovitch, Tel Aviv University

 

121 communication experts representing 15 health professions in 16 countries developed the first ever learning objectives for a universal core curriculum for teaching in all health professionals (Health Professions Core Communication Curriculum- HPCCC). The objectives were developed based on international professional literature (UK, Kalamazoo, Toronto, MAAS, Basel, CanMEDS) and experts' assessment involved in t-EACH- the teaching subcommittee of European Association for Communication in Healthcare.

A Delphi process technique* was used to gather feedback and to develop a consensus  resulting in sixty-one categories organized in three  major themes and further specific competencies, including: A. Communication with Patients  (shaping the therapeutic relationship; patient’s perspective and health beliefs; collecting and communicating information; involving patients in reasoning and reason-making; dealing with uncertainty);  B. Professionalism and Reflection in intra- and interpersonal communication (self-awareness, self-care, self-reflection; dealing with errors); and C. Communication in Health Care Teams (teamwork; leadership; management strategies).

The Health Professions Core Communication Curriculum has been translated into French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Russian, Greek and Portuguese and is used in teaching and research especially in inter- and multi-professional education in health care. This presentation will include an overview of the thematic analysis, the objectives and their relevance to current Israeli medical education. Specifically, the HPCCC highlights an urgent need for improved teaching concerning inter-professional communication.  An illustration of how to teach about teamwork will be given.

 

*Delphi process is a structured communication technique, in which experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds. After each round, a facilitator provides an anonymous summary of the experts’ forecasts from the previous round as well as the reasons they provided for their judgments. Thus, experts are encouraged to revise their earlier answers in light of the replies of other members of their panel. It is believed that during this process the range of the answers will decrease and the group will converge towards the "correct" answer.