Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two different pedagogical approaches to error communication training.
Background: The literature advocates full, transparent communication following a medical error. However, many barriers to such disclosure exist. A significant barrier is healthcare providers do not feel prepared for these difficult conversations. This can be particularly challenging in a pediatric setting when the conversation with a parent may be more demanding than similar conversations in the non-pediatric settings.
Method: Individuals from three different professional groups were recruited; physicians, pharmacists, and nurses. A randomized controlled study was conducted to investigate whether the learning strategy used, interprofessional education (IPE) or self-study, influenced a team’s performance in a simulated error communication scenario.
Results: The total mean score in a simulated error communication scenario was higher for the IPE group than the self-study group. This was not statistically significant; however, effect size would suggest a large estimation of magnitude between groups. Pre and post self-confidence scores identify that there was a significant difference in self-confidence following the education intervention for the IPE group but not for the self-study group. Overall satisfaction was higher in the IPE group
Conclusion: It would appear that the IPE approach to error communication is more effective in terms of performance, self-reported confidence level, and participants overall satisfaction. Larger research studies are recommended for further investigation. A power calculation suggests a sample size of 17 teams per group (IPE and Self-study) for 80% power in future studies
