Simulation-Based Empathy Training to Improve Maternal Satisfaction after Emergency Cesarean Delivery

Project Scope There will be three phases to this project. During phase 1, baseline maternal satisfaction with birth experience and their anesthesiology resident will be obtained using validated questionnaires from women who have an emergency cesarean delivery. Empathy curriculum will be finalized and validated empathetic communication scripts will be developed for use by residents during emergency cesarean delivery.9, 47-49 This phase also includes emergency cesarean delivery scenario development. In phase 2 of this project, standardized patients and anesthesiology residents training will occur. Standardized patients will be trained to be the “mother” in the simulation scenarios. Baseline resident empathy scores will be obtained. All anesthesiology residents will participate in a 1.5 hour empathy training session, including faculty-facilitated small group discussions on empathy. The discussions will be followed by individualized simulation training with a standardized patient in two emergency cesarean section scenarios. The standardized patients will evaluate the anesthesiology residents’ performance and provide feedback regarding their empathetic communication after each scenario. In phase 3, follow-up maternal satisfaction with birth experience will be assessed after the anesthesiology residents complete empathy training as described in phase 2. Resident empathy scores will be reassessed using the same questionnaire from phase 2. Specific Goals and Objectives: Patient Specific Goals and Objectives - Obtain baseline maternal satisfaction scores with overall care and anesthesiology resident’s care through validated questionnaires post emergency cesarean delivery - Improve overall maternal satisfaction and anesthesiology resident provider satisfaction as reflected by increased scores on the validated questionnaires following anesthesiology resident empathy training. Anesthesiology Resident Goals and Objectives -Improve delivery of patient-centered care through teaching empathetic techniques to utilize during emergency cesarean delivery