PEMTalk

OBJECTIVES: Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians deliver serious news (DSN) in stressful situations that impact both families and physicians. Our objective was to assess the impact of a PEM-focused workshop on DSN in improving the self-perceived preparedness, skill level, and stress management of PEM physicians. METHODS: We designed a simulation-based communication workshop, "PEMTalk," utilizing simulated parents to teach PEM attendings and fellows to effectively DSN. The workshop was conducted in a virtual and in-person format from 2018 to 2023. We developed 3 scenarios unique to PEM. Pre- and postintervention surveys were administered to assess the workshop's impact. RESULTS: A total of 74 participants completed surveys. Among the 34 first-time participants, there were improvements in provider's self-perceived ability to DSN (41% vs. 97%; P