Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching Program
Communication Skills as an Educational Priority
Stanford Neurology residents have identified communication skills as a priority for educational innovation. To meet this goal, the Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching program was launched in 2020. The program pairs each resident with a trained Neurology faculty coach for the duration of residency. To create a shared approach and language, all residents and coaches complete formal communication skills training courses, including the Advancing Communication Excellence at Stanford (ACES) course and the Serious Illness Conversation Guide course.
Coaching to Meet Residents' Goals
Every resident has 5-8 coaching sessions per academic year. Each coaching session involves direct observation of the resident-patient interaction by the coach in an ambulatory or inpatient setting, followed by a debriefing exercise during which the coach facilitates the resident’s self-reflection on his or her communication performance, provides targeted feedback, and guides the resident to identify a communication-related goal to be practiced before the next coaching session. The coaches are intentionally not responsible for evaluating resident performance and are typically not the attending of record. The aim of coaching is to support each resident in reaching his or her individual communication goals.
Coaching Program Support, Leadership, & Partnership
Dr. Carl Gold serves as Director and Dr. Rebecca Miller-Kuhlmann serves as Associate Director. The Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching program is generously supported by a grant from the Stanford Health Care Partners donor fund. The program was formed in partnership with the Stanford Surgery Communication Coaching Program, directed by Dr. Aussama Nassar and Dr. James Korndorffer. These programs are based on the highly successful Stanford Pediatrics Coaching Program, led by Dr. Becky Blankenburg and Dr. Carrie Rassbach. The leaders of the three coaching programs meet monthly as the Coaching Steering Committee.
Shannon Beres, MD
Communication Coach
Clinical Assistant Professor
Neuro-ophthalmology & Child Neurology
“The most fulfilling aspect of the Communication Coaching program has been the opportunity to have a meaningful longitudinal relationship with the residents. We have been able to grow mutual respect and understanding of each other so that there is a safe place to share each our most vulnerable concerns, fears, and areas of improvement in patient care interactions. This allows us to first recognize and talk about the growth that is needed, then implement and monitor how these behaviors change with time. In turn, the patient gains a more empathetic and personal encounter with their provider.”
Current Resident Coachees
Lucas Kipp, MD
Communication Coach
Clinical Assistant Professor
Neuroimmunology
Current Resident Coachees
Sarah Lee, MD
Communication Coach
Clinical Assistant Professor
Vascular Neurology & Child Neurology
Current Resident Coachees
Zachary Threlkeld, MD
Communication Coach
Clinical Assistant Professor
Neurocritical Care
“I remember not receiving a lot of feedback on physicianship and patient-doctor communication as a trainee. Although I have since grown to cherish interactions with patients and families as the one of the most privileged and rewarding aspects of being a doctor, there was a time when I found those interactions overwhelming or daunting. I think this program helps dispel some of those fears and opens a space for trainees to discuss and experiment with these interactions in an effort to improve the care they deliver. I wish I had this program when I was in training!”
Current Resident Coachees
Faculty Development Workshops
Faculty coaches participated in a half-day orientation presented by the leaders of the Stanford Pediatrics Coaching Program in February 2020. Every month the coaches participate in 90-minute faculty development workshops on topics related to communication skills, coaching, and medical education delivered by experts from Stanford and other top institutions. The workshops bring together coaches from Neurology, Surgery, and Pediatrics.
Date |
Workshop Title |
Presenter |
January 2021 |
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December 2020 |
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November 2020 |
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October 2020 |
Generation Z learners |
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September 2020 |
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August 2020 |
Coaches as promoters of resident wellness |
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July 2020 |
Code Bias |
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June 2020 |
Coaching integration and support within residency programs |
Joint meeting with residency program directors |
May 2020 |
Telehealth communication skills |
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April 2020 |
Stretching great learners |
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February 2020 |
Half-day orientation to coaching |
Research Collaboration
Outcomes related to implementation of the Stanford Neurology and Surgery Communication Coaching Programs are being studied in collaboration with Dr. Marzena Sasnal and Dr. Arden Morris of the Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research & Education Center (S-SPIRE).
Contacts
Carl Gold, MD, MS
Director, Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching Program
Rebecca Miller-Kuhlmann, MD
Associate Director, Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching Program
For questions about the Stanford Neurology Communication Coaching Program, please contact the Director, Dr. Carl Gold at carlgold@stanford.edu, or the Associate Director, Dr. Rebecca Miller-Kuhlmann at millerrk@stanford.edu.