Communication coaching in primary care: Beyond clinical expertise

Communication coaching in primary care may help strengthen patient experience. In this episode of Key In to Quality, the discussion explores communication as an important driver of healthcare quality and examines whether communication skills can be strengthened through coaching and training. A Mayo Clinic pilot study compared individualized communication coaching, a communication skills class and usual practice to understand the potential impact on patient experience. The study found encouraging trends. Clinicians who received individualized coaching achieved higher overall patient experience scores, while both the coaching and communication-class groups improved on nine of 10 patient experience measures. Although the small sample size limited statistical significance, the findings point to opportunities for further study and suggest that intentional communication development may benefit both patients and clinicians. The discussion also highlights practical considerations for healthcare organizations, including partnering with communication experts, securing leadership support, designing interventions that fit clinician workflows and starting with small pilot programs. The episode reinforces that communication is a learnable skill and a core component of quality care, with the potential to strengthen trust, connection and the overall patient experience. 0:00 Communication as a Tool for Better Care 2:12 Meet the Patient Experience Study Leaders 3:20 Jennifer Bold’s Communication Coaching Experience 8:11 Understanding How People Experience Healthcare 10:00 Designing the Patient Communication Coaching Study 11:41 Overcoming Time and Implementation Challenges 15:18 Comparing Coaching and Communication Training 20:03 Measuring Patient and Clinician Outcomes 24:07 Patient Experience Results From the Pilot 26:33 Expanding the Research Into Clinical Practice 27:42 Potential Impact on Patients and Clinicians 30:08 How Organizations Can Start Communication Coaching Recommended audience: Healthcare leaders, physicians, nurse practitioners, outpatient/clinic-based providers, patient experience professionals and quality improvement professionals. Hosted by: Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. — https://www.linkedin.com/in/timorgenthaler/ Sheri Nemec — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sheri-nemec-a627982a/ Guests: Summer Allen, M.D. Jennifer Bold, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-bold-dnp-aprn-fnp-bc-495b41314/ LinkedIn may require you to sign in to view individual profiles. Key In to Quality explores the people, practices and principles that elevate healthcare quality and safety. Each episode highlights practical lessons that healthcare professionals and organizations can use to address important quality challenges. Like and subscribe for more conversations about patient safety, quality improvement, healthcare leadership and collaborative care. Listen to the audio podcast: https://mayo-clinic-key-in-to-quality.simplecast.com/ From Mayo Clinic to your inbox (free): https://mayocl.in/3e71zfi Visit Mayo Clinic: https://mayocl.in/2COVmlm Connect with Mayo Clinic: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayoclinic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayoclinic X: https://x.com/MayoClinic Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mayoclinic