Loud and Clear: ASA Annual Meeting Resident
Communications Workshop

nesthesiologists are asked to communicate with a variety of individuals on a daily basis, including patients and families, surgical colleagues, operating room personnel, nursing staff and hospital administration. Additionally our input is required in the myriad significant legislative issues impacting our profession such as nurse anesthetist scope of practice and academic anesthesiology reimbursement rates. The ASA Committee on Communications recognizes that the future of anesthesiology lies in cultivating residents with honed speaking and communication skills. In this vein, the inaugural Resident Component Communications Workshop will be held at this year’s ASA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.

According to the American Medical Association, demand is growing for physician spokespersons to deliver health news and health care advocacy to the media, legislators, colleagues and the public. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has recognized the importance of communication and has included “interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families and other health professionals” as one of the six general competencies for resident education.

While today’s anesthesiology resident receives focused teaching on clinical communication with patients (witness the advent of “standardized patient” clinical curricula in medical schools and the new clinical standardized patient test portion of the Step 2 U.S. Medical Licensing Examination), he/she likely does not receive formal teaching on how to best communicate and interact with fellow health care professionals, administrators, legislators and the media. These skills are haphazardly gained, mostly through observing the interactions of anesthesia attendings and upper-level housestaff. While one hopefully learns useful skills to emulate in future practice, it is equally possible to observe less-desirable communication techniques to be avoided.

The ASA Committee on Communications recognizes the importance and the challenge of communicating effectively to all audiences. A testament to ASA’s continued commitment to the Resident Component, the Communications Workshop in New Orleans will complement other resident activities, including the Leadership Training Grassroots Advocacy Workshop, Resident Component House of Delegates, the Practice Management Seminar, the Resident Research Forum and the Resident Regional Anesthesia Workshop.

I have had the opportunity to participate in the ASA Annual Meeting Communications Workshop as well as the ASA Leadership Spokesperson Training Program. The Resident Component Communications Workshop will incorporate aspects of both of these activities.

Residents will gain an understanding of techniques that will be useful for residency training as well as for participation in organized medicine. Residents also will learn tips to increase their comfort and success when giving a speech or presentation. Overall the residents who attend this workshop will be better equipped to effectively communicate a message, whether it is to a patient, colleague, attending anesthesiologist or legislator. Thanks to the ASA Committee on Communications, the Resident Component will have the opportunity to increase the awareness and education of tomorrow’s anesthesiologists regarding the importance of sound communication skills for a more successful practice of anesthesiology.

Jennifer R. Dollar, M.D., is a CA-3 resident at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.