The Conversation Lab celebrated our first national workshop as part of the Advanced Learning in Palliative Medicine (ALPM) conference at the Westin Harbor Castle Hotel in Toronto on May 29, 2024.
Certified VitalTalk facilitators Dr. Jillian Gustin from Ohio State University and Dr. Tiffany Lee from the University of British Columbia joined Dr. Warren Lewin to lead participants through the workshop, entitled VitalTalk Canada: High-yield Communication Skills Simulation for Leading Serious Illness Conversations workshop.
Participants came from all over Canada, ranging from British Columbia to Nova Scotia and included doctors, nurse practitioners and social workers in general practice, oncology and palliative care.
The post-workshop feedback was resoundingly positive. 100% of survey respondants strongly agreed that the workshop taught them skills that they can put into practice and that the workshop made them more confident in their ability to share serious news, respond to emotion, and engage in serious illness conversations.
Responses included, “This should be taught in medical school and residency.” “This was an excellent and enjoyable learning experience.” “Please continue to scale and offer this training earlier in career.” We hear that training in serious illness communication is needed throughout Canada. We are working to meet that need by continuing to offer our training to a national audience.