Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue Transforms Medical School Culture

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences educates and trains osteopathic physicians, research scientists and other healthcare professionals with an emphasis on serving rural and underserved Oklahoma. OSU Center for Health Sciences is a premier academic health center comprised of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Forensic Sciences, the School of Health Care Administration, the School of Allied Health and a Physician Assistant Program.

In a survey of hospital leadership conducted by the American Hospital Association (AHA), newly trained physicians are commonly lacking in interpersonal communication skills and professionalism—and that’s a serious problem. Studies have shown that one-third of hospital-based adverse events are attributed to human error; about two-thirds of those arise from ineffective team communication. Another study found that approximately 98,000 hospital deaths per year were associated with miscommunication.