• Anna B Newcomb, Amber W Trickey, Melissa Porrey, Jeffrey Wright, Franco Piscitani, Paula Graling, and Jonathan Dort.
• Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Falls Church, Virginia. Electronic address: Anna.Newcomb@inova.org.
• J Surg Educ. 2017 Mar 1; 74 (2): 319-328.

ObjectivesThe Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education milestones provide a framework of specific interpersonal and communication skills that surgical trainees should aim to master. However, training and assessment of resident nontechnical skills remains challenging. We aimed to develop and implement a curriculum incorporating interactive learning principles such as group discussion and simulation-based scenarios to formalize instruction in patient-centered communication skills, and to identify best practices when building such a program.DesignThe curriculum is presented in quarterly modules over a 2-year cycle. Using our surgical simulation center for the training, we focused on proven strategies for interacting with patients and other providers. We trained and used former patients as standardized participants (SPs) in communication scenarios.SettingSurgical simulation center in a 900-bed tertiary care hospital.ParticipantsProgram learners were general surgery residents (postgraduate year 1-5). Trauma Survivors Network volunteers served as SPs in simulation scenarios.ResultsWe identified several important lessons: (1) designing and implementing a new curriculum is a challenging process with multiple barriers and complexities; (2) several readily available facilitators can ease the implementation process; (3) with the right approach, learners, faculty, and colleagues are enthusiastic and engaged participants; (4) learners increasingly agree that communication skills can be improved with practice and appreciate the curriculum value; (5) patient SPs can be valuable members of the team; and importantly (6) the culture of patient-physician communication appears to shift with the implementation of such a curriculum.ConclusionsOur approach using Trauma Survivors Network volunteers as SPs could be reproduced in other institutions with similar programs. Faculty enthusiasm and support is strong, and learner participation is active. Continued focus on patient and family communication skills would enhance patient care for institutions providing such education as well as for institutions where residents continue on in fellowships or begin their surgical practice.Copyright © 2017 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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