Online Coaching Programs

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Hospital and Clinic Physicians can now access personal coaching services 100% online from home or work.  PRN Consulting is currently working with physicians of all specialties to build skills for more effective and satisfying communication with patients.  Appointments are available at your convenience, whether you prefer to book a time when you're on service or with fewer distractions at home.  Contact us for more information.

Our communication sessions designed for CEO, CMO and PXO are now available online at your convenience.  If your organization is currently contracted with PRN Consulting, contact us for an appointment that works for you.  If you are new to PRN and would like more information, we'd love to hear from you and provide a free initial consultation.  

PRN Consulting is pleased to offer professional development programs in Physician Communication Coaching for individuals who want to explore evidence-based skills to support their career growth.  Contact us for a free initial consultation and more information on our 

Train-the-Trainer programs that include:

• Guided Practice:  A Better Way to Role-Play
• PEG-LEG-RAG:  Mental Maps for Coaching Conversations
• Facilitating Small Group Learning
• CORE Skills for Coaching Partners
• GPS for Immersive Learning 
• Skillful Feedback and Debrief
• The Coach Approach: Effective Strategies for Communication Work
• The META Toolkit: A Self-Care Protocol for Working Under Stress

PRN Consulting works closely with physicians and healthcare executives to make communication more efficient, effective and satisfying.

We customize our program for your patient population, and individualize coaching for each physician, to leverage their strengths and sharpen their skills.  

Our program includes Leadership Sessions as well as Physician Sessions.

Why?  Because improving communication is a team sport.  While we're coaching physicians through a structured program of immersive learning in communication techniques, we're also engaging healthcare leaders to build a framework that can support long-term results. 

The Hospital and Clinic Communication Program is designed to engage physicians and leadership in three phases:

PHASE ONE:  Shadows and Goals (1-2 months)

Individual Leadership Sessions with CEO, CMO and PXO to discuss needs, align expectations and set goals.

Individual Shadow Sessions with physicians to document strengths, make recommendations and observe work environment for communication improvements on a system level.

PHASE TWO:  Spotlights and Resources (2-3 months)

Monthly Leadership Sessions with CEO, CMO and PXO to optimize resources, remove system barriers and create wins as the process improves.

Spotlight Sessions: Individual Mini-Workshops with physicians to target 1 or 2 recommended skills for maximum effect on patient perception.  

PHASE THREE:  Support and Growth (By Request, Ongoing)

On-Demand Executive Leadership Sessions to support long-term growth of skills and culture of good communication.

Support Sessions: Self-selected physician sessions by request; many  communication topics to support ongoing professional development.

Additional options for Phase Three include Communication Skills Labs, Communication On-boarding Programs for new hires, and Live Online Sessions.

After a physician has been shadowed in phase one of our program, a couple of Spotlight Sessions are recommended.  In these individual mini-workshops, we put the spotlight on a specific communication skill with strong potential for affecting patients at your facility

Spotlight Sessions are divided into two parts; a private 1-hour Training Session on the first day to discuss and practice the skill, and a 1-hour Rounding Appointment the second day to observe the skill being used with a few patients.

During Phase Two of the Hospital and Clinic Communication Program, 1 or 2 Spotlight Sessions will be presented for all physicians in a service line.  After that, any physician or leader can request an individual Spotlight Session on any of the topics below.  Customized topics are also available.

Some patients have trouble comprehending important information, even when physicians do their best to communicate clearly. These Spotlight Sessions teach specific skills that build patient comprehension, to increase adherence and improve clinical outcomes.  

Patients exposed to these communication techniques report that their doctor explained things in a way they could understand.  Physicians who develop these communication habits report increased satisfaction and feelings that they were able to ‘get through’ to patients more effectively.

• Discussing Prognosis
• Effective Teach-Back
• Connecting Through Interpretation
• Delivering Serious News
• Enhancing Language Clarity
• Discussing Code Status
• The Power of Plain Language
• Realigning Goals of Care
• Advance Care Planning

Patients can be unaware of a physician’s good intentions to show courtesy and respect during a conversation.  Physicians may be listening to every word a patient says, yet the patient doesn’t feel their doctor was listening to them.

These Spotlight Sessions teach habits to help patients recognize that you’re treating them with courtesy and respect, and listening carefully.  When patients feel respected and heard, they’re more likely to comply with instructions to change behaviors that affect their clinical outcomes.  Physicians who practice these key behaviors with patients also report that these behaviors make communication better in other areas of life.

• How to Help Someone Feel Heard
• Shared Decision Making
• Creating a Joint Agenda
• Empathetic Rhythm
• Care Signaling
• Responding to Emotion
• Obvious Listening
• Managing Unrealistic Expectations
• 4 Habits for Collaborative Co-Rounding
• Communication During Physical Exam

Patients and family members can present behavioral challenges that complicate efforts to provide good clinical care.  Physicians need specialized tools to navigate these conversations effectively while managing their limited time.  

These Spotlight Sessions practice skills to deal with challenging conversations in a way that’s efficient and satisfying.  Patients and family benefit from skillful direction when these circumstances come up, and can be helped to re-align decisions and behaviors.  Physicians feel more confident and better prepared when they have tools to make challenging conversations more effective and satisfying.

• Conflict, Compassion and Boundaries
• Conversation Exit Strategies
• Empathetic Behaviors that Connect
• Discussing Health Behaviors
• Effective Family Conferences
• Goals of Care Communication

Physicians often have to discuss a serious diagnosis with patients and families, report the death of a loved one, or manage other conversations with high emotional stakes.  This program offers evidence-based techniques for navigating these conversations with clarity and compassion. Next we practice the skills with Standardized Patients in a safe and supportive environment. Individual coaching and specific feedback helps you find language that fits each situation.

Patient safety is a priority for every physician, but errors do occur.  While most agree that errors should be fully disclosed to patients, lack of training in specific communication practices can leave physicians vulnerable.  Embarrassment, fear of litigation, and discomfort with the process often results in failure to clearly explain the error and it's effect on a patient's health.  This program works within your organization's communication and resolution protocol, by providing an opportunity to practice these challenging conversations.  Highly skilled Coaching Partners provide practice and feedback as you navigate disclosures between physician and leadership as well as physician and patient, in a safe and confidential environment.

Relationship-centered communication with patients begins at the very first hello.  This program uses communication techniques and customer-service simulations to prepare front-line staff with skills to manage challenges and expertise to build relationships.

Telemedicine is becoming an increasingly important resource for patients, and a rapidly evolving part of the American healthcare infrastructure.  Communicating in a virtual space requires specialized skills, and this program is designed to address those needs through on-line interaction with Standardized Patients and Coaching Partners, experienced in providing skilled feedback for this medium. 

Communication is a principal concern for women seeking treatment in obstetrics and gynecology.  It's extremely important to provide patients with clear, understandable, and actionable science-based health information. Multiple factors at either end of the patient-provider relationship can affect a patient’s understanding of health information.  This program explores and practices key communication techniques that contribute to patient comprehension, collaboration and clinical outcomes.

Engaging an audience and motivating them to action is at the heart of effective public speaking.  PRN Consulting's Director, Pamela Nemecek, has been an invited speaker at conferences for physicians, hospital leaders and medical educators in the U.S. and Europe.  Drop us a line on the "Contact Us" page to let us know how we can support your event.

Coaching Distressed Physicians (2023) Oxford Brookes Coaching and Mentoring Research Conference, Oxford, UK

Physician Communication and Wellness Support (2021) Medical Directors Meeting, Western Health Advantage, Sacramento, CA

Patient-Physician Communication (2021) Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs, Geriatric and Palliative Fellows Leadership Program, New York, NY

Coaching Effective Communication:  Strategies for Disruptive Times (2020) Institute of Coaching, McLean, Affiliate of Harvard Medical School 

How Can You Listen So That People Feel Heard?  (2020)  St. John's Regional Medical Center, Dignity Health Affiliate, Oxnard, CA

Teaching The META Toolkit. (2019)  Association of Standardized Patient Educators, Orlando, FL

Advocating for SP Psychological Safety. (2019) Association of Standardized Patient Educators, Orlando, FL

Introduction to The META Toolkit. (2019) Association of Standardized Patient Educators, Orlando, FL

Clues to Improving Leadership Communication with Patients. (2018) Dignity Health Patient Experience Summit, Las Vegas, NV

Therapist Guided Exposure: Simulation and Immersive Learning Applications. (2018) American Congress of OB/GYN, Austin, TX

It’s Not About the Nail: Responding to Emotional Patients (2017) Dignity Health Patient Experience Summit, Anaheim, CA.

Physician Self-Care in Managing Effects of Traumatic Activity (2017) School of Medicine, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

Managing Effects of Traumatic Activity with Standardized Patients (2017) Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA

Teaching the META Toolkit (2017) University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria IL

Managing Effects of Traumatic Activity. (2017)  Jump Simulation Center, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria,IL

The META Toolkit for Nursing Students, (2016) Robert Morris University School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA

Lights, Camera, Simulation!: Educational Techniques Help Turn Medical Students Into Doctors (2016) Stanford University, Stanford, CA 

From Standardized Patient to Coaching Partner: Developing a Professional Specialty, (2015) Association of Standardized Patient Educators, Tampa FL

Learning about a communication technique is only the first step to mastering it.  To become truly proficient with a skill, you have to practice.  Simulation allows you to try your new communication strategy, make mistakes in a safe environment, get some coaching, then try again.  This process prepares you to use the technique confidently and skillfully with patients.

Professional Simulators engage learners in immersive learning by portraying a scenario that allows you to practice your skill in a real-life situation.  Sometimes clients think of simulators as 'just actors' because they portray patients during role-play.  But professional simulators are doing much more than acting.

PRN Consulting works with more than 20 highly skilled simulators in 3 categories:

MEDICAL ACTORS provide scripted portrayals of patients, doctors, administrators and other healthcare professionals for video and live demonstrations.  PRN Medical Actors have acted in dozens of educational videos and live demonstrations for university GME/CME programs and medical conferences.

STANDARDIZED PATIENTS learn complex medical case portrayals in order to recall specific details and give standardized answers when asked questions during an encounter with medical students and other learners.  They are trained to simultaneously track dozens of details on a mental checklist during the encounter, while in character.  After the encounter, they document which clinical questions were asked or omitted, score the quality of each physical exam maneuver, and provide written or oral feedback on communication.  PRN Simulators are all experienced Standardized Patients,  with years of training at UCSF, USC, UCLA and Stanford School of Medicine.

COACHING PARTNERS are a highly specialized group of professional simulators who work with practicing physicians in programs taught by PRN Consulting.  After extensive experience as Standardized Patients, they go through a training program called CORE Skills for Coaching Partners.  This prepares them to engage in simulations with physicians who are working on complex communication skills.  Coaching Partners are trained to facilitate small group breakout sessions with groups of physicians, based on the learning objectives of the workshop being taught.  They manage group engagement, portray patients for the practice session, and provide expert coaching that includes learner self-reflection, targeted objective feedback and group discussion.  They also provide specialized patient-centered feedback and coaching based on learning objectives for individual encounters during a faculty-facilitated program.

Does your organization need highly-qualified professional simulators for a program?

We provide professional simulation services for faculty at hospitals, universities and medical conferences, as well as developing and presenting full workshops using our own professional simulators to engage audiences in immersive learning.

PLEASE NOTE:  Professional Simulators are working with PRN Consulting 100% online during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Guided Practice Sessions are still an important part of our education work, and we're moving forward ONLINE, with safety as our highest priority.

Drop us a line and let us know how we can support your educational needs through professional simulation.

At PRN Consulting, our instructional design team has created many programs that move learners from station-to-station where they practice a variety of skills.

Communication Skills Labs are presented for experienced physicians who have worked with the PRN Communication Program in the past.  OSCEs are often requested by faculty to assess potential communication skills deficits of resident physicians early in their career. 

Whatever your organization's needs, these station-to-station exercises can be customized to provide exposure to many scenarios in a short amount of time, facilitating practice and feedback on important learning objectives.

PLEASE NOTE:  Professional Simulators are working with PRN Consulting 100% online during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Guided Practice Sessions are still an important part of our education work, and we're moving forward ONLINE, with safety as our highest priority.

After physicians have completed the Shadow Sessions and Spotlight Sessions in our Communication Program, hospital leaders often wants to know how they can keep these skills fresh for the long-term.  One option we recommend is an annual Communication Skills Lab.  

We bring a group of PRN Coaching Partners to your facility, each trained to portray and provide feedback on communication techniques that will be presented at their station.  Physicians move from one station to the next, "rounding" on a variety of "patients" who need skilled communication.  Drawing on the refresher talk presented at the beginning of the session, physicians use their skills to manage challenging conversations, and get useful feedback from each Coaching Partner after their encounter.  A wrap-up roundtable lets physicians share valuable experiences and discuss practical use of the skills.  

Scenarios are customized for maximum value to the physicians who participate.

Some examples include:

Patient who cries when receiving serious news about their health.

Patient who speaks a rarely encountered language, requiring interpretation.

Patient whose family member is overbearing and prone to conflict.

Patient requesting inappropriate or unnecessary treatment.

Patient who is extremely talkative, making it difficult to manage/conclude the visit.

PLEASE NOTE:  Professional Simulators are working with PRN Consulting 100% online during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Guided Practice Sessions are still an important part of our education work, and we're moving forward ONLINE, with safety as our highest priority.

Objective Structured Clinical Exams are formative assessments and can be a useful way for faculty and preceptors to gain insight into new residents' baseline competency in the hospital setting.  

PRN Consulting provides on-site OSCE programs for healthcare organizations using Standardized Patients experienced in portraying OSCE cases at leading university medical schools.  We develop standardized cases targeted for your learning objectives, train and manage staff, and facilitate feedback and debrief sessions with Standardized Patients as well as faculty.

Contact us for more information about bringing a customized OSCE program to your organization.

PLEASE NOTE:  Professional Simulators are working with PRN Consulting 100% online during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Guided Practice Sessions are still an important part of our education work, and we're moving forward ONLINE, with safety as our highest priority.

PRN Consulting gets many requests each year for help with educational projects related to healthcare communication.  We are happy to support programs in all kinds of unusual ways, if it fits within our mission and resources.

Here are some of our favorite requests from clients that have become extraordinary educational partnerships.

Psychiatry/Behavioral Sciences -  Medical/Mental Health Simulation Program

School of Medicine Instructional Design - CME/GME Video Production

Stanford Graduate School of Business - Cancer Patient Navigation Project

Stanford d.school - BioDesign for Unmet Needs

Stanford Health Hackathon - Communication Workshop on Design Thinking

Center for Advanced Pediatrics & Perinatal Education - Perinatal Communication

Stanford Medicine - Health Matters/Med School Morning

Stanford School of Medicine & SFMOMA - Standardized Patient Film by Kerry Tribe

Palliative Care Communication Conference - Physician Group Facilitation

Palliative Care Retreat - Communication in Serious Illness

Emergency Medicine Communication Workshop - Realigning Goals of Care

Palliative Care Communication Workshops - Oakland Physicians

Resident Physician Communication Workshops - San Francisco Physicians

Medical Communication Conference - Physician Group Facilitation

Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute:  Open Communication Project

PAMF Physician Communication Coaching:  Family Medicine

PAMF Physician Communication Coaching:  Internal Medicine

PAMF Physician Communication Coaching:  Palliative Medicine

PAMF Physician Communication Coaching:  End of Life Option Act 

PAMF Physician Communication Coaching:  Cardiology

Summit Alta Bates Medical Center: Orthopedic Interdepartmental Communication

BETA Healthcare Risk Management Program:  Disclosing Medical Error

Dignity Health Patient Experience Summit:  Physician Communication Workshop

Dignity Health Patient Experience Summit:  Leadership Communication Workshop

Dignity Health Physician Communication Coaching:  Hospital Medicine

Dignity Health Physician Communication Coaching:  Maternity Service

Dignity Health Management Team Meeting: Communication Skills Workshop

ASPE Conference Presentation:  Developing a Professional Specialty

ASPE Conference Presentation:  Managing Effects of Traumatic Activity

ASPE Conference Presentation:  Advocating for SP Psychological Safety

IOC Webinar:  Coaching Effective Communication: Strategies for Disruptive Times

IOC Healthcare Group Presentation:  Coaching Distressed Physicians

19th Annual Coaching Research Conference Presentation:  Coaching Distressed Physicians

OBCAMS Coaching Group:  Recognizing and Responding to Mental Health Needs of Clients

Medical Education Committee Presentation:  Communication and Wellness Support for Physicians

NorthBay Health Group Program:  Physician Communication and Wellness Support 

Hill Physicians Group Program:  Physician Communication and Wellness Support