Training clinicians in state-of the art communication around serious illness and re-engineering the practice environment to support timely, effective communication.
Transforming serious illness conversations.
TalkVermont is a multi-component interventions to improve conversations between clinicians and seriously ill patients across University of Vermont Health. We use evidence-based methods, developed with national innovators, to train clinicians in state-of the art communication around serious illness and re-engineer the practice environment to support timely, effective communication.
Why Choose TalkVT?
- Continuing medical education: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the Robert Larner College of Medicine at University of Vermont is approved to offer TalkVT courses eligible for CME/CEU hours.
- Improving your care: 92 percent of our participants report an increase in job satisfaction as a result of improving their serious illness conversations with patients and their families.
- Multi-disciplinary focus: TalkVT tailors trainings to support clinicians, students, chaplain, social workers, case managers, nurses and more.
- Tailored conversations: Courses specifically target key practice areas, such as primary care, pediatrics, hospital medicine, oncology and cardiology.
Our Mission
We believe that empathic, honest conversations are cornerstones of patient- and family-centered care. Research shows that patients who speak with their clinicians about their goals and values are more likely to receive the care they want, have fewer non-beneficial medical treatments, spend fewer days in hospitals and intensive care units, and report a better quality of life.
Our vision is that every seriously ill patient receiving care at UVM Health will be surrounded by clinicians who can skillfully discuss what matters most. We want to make sure that finances are not a barrier to attendance for anyone. We are committed to making participation in TalkVermont programs accessible to all health care professionals. We offer discount codes for our courses to make sure that anyone can attend.
Our Approach
All of our courses utilize small-group learning that features cognitive mapping, deliberate practices with simulated patients, and just-in-time feedback.
We have collaborated with VitalTalk, the premier serious illness communication skills coaching program, to adapt their evidence-based trainings for our clinicians. We offer eight-hour training workshops that are engaging, interprofessional and focused on eliciting patient values in the context of their illness.
We have partnered with the Harvard University School of Public Health’s Ariadne Labs to implement the Serious Illness Care Program (SICP). The SICP is a trial-proven, multi-component intervention for clinical practices that includes identifying target populations, prompting discussions, adapting scheduling and workflows to optimize conversation time, standardizing findable documentation in the electronic medical record and systematic quality measurement and reporting.
Resources
- Transforming Serious Illness Conversations: Read the TalkVT brochure to learn more about this innovative program.
- Serious Illness Conversation Guide: A helpful tool with framework to support critical conversations with patients and caregivers.