As hospitals and physicians strive to improve patient satisfaction, some are enlisting the help of professional actors to coach physicians on communication skills, according to a Star Tribune report.
A radiologist cited in the report has worked with a professional actress by training and executive coach by vocation to work through hypothetical patient experiences, study voice tone and modulation and how to communicate bad and good news to patients.
The coach, Susanne Egli, has worked with nearly a dozen physicians in the past year on leadership improvement and patient satisfaction initiatives. Coaching can cost up to $5,900 depending on the package, as they vary from months of periodic coaching to yearlong mentoring.
St. Paul, Minn.-based HealthPartners is another provider resorting to patient interaction mentorship. It pairs a "shadow coach" with physicians. The coach, which is not necessarily an actor, watches physicians interact with the patient and then offers recommendations for how they can improve their bedside manner. The health system has measured patient satisfaction for the past two years and uses it as a factor in physician compensation.
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A radiologist cited in the report has worked with a professional actress by training and executive coach by vocation to work through hypothetical patient experiences, study voice tone and modulation and how to communicate bad and good news to patients.
The coach, Susanne Egli, has worked with nearly a dozen physicians in the past year on leadership improvement and patient satisfaction initiatives. Coaching can cost up to $5,900 depending on the package, as they vary from months of periodic coaching to yearlong mentoring.
St. Paul, Minn.-based HealthPartners is another provider resorting to patient interaction mentorship. It pairs a "shadow coach" with physicians. The coach, which is not necessarily an actor, watches physicians interact with the patient and then offers recommendations for how they can improve their bedside manner. The health system has measured patient satisfaction for the past two years and uses it as a factor in physician compensation.
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