Some of the worst outcomes for patients are due to poor communication, so medical schools are turning to improv — improv theater training — to help students live longer and more compassionate lives with patients. A study published before the pandemic found that students used the skills they learned from them, but COVID-19 weighting is now the best area of evidence.

If you are curious to know What is Medical Improv? Then medical Improv is an exciting learning tool that can be used to promote emotional intelligence, communication, teamwork, and leadership skills in healthcare professionals. It differs from impromptu comedy in that the focus is on learning rather than performance. In this growing field, practitioners are adapting experiential activities from the world of improv theater to build skills and influence important outcomes, such as: Patient Safety, Patient Experience, Workforce Health and Profitability.

There are eight core principles of Medical Improv for improving communicationand hundreds of customizable activities. Once participants learn the principles, the workshop can be tailored to focus on individual and organizational goals. With individual and organizational behavior a major cause of medical errors, poor patient experiences, workplace injuries, and wasted resources, the impact that Medial Improv can have is promising.

Although the activities are usually simple, the training is often in-depth. The Medical Improv session provides fundamental human development opportunities as participants learn:

• How it feels to be heard and validated.
• About the doubts that get in the way of assertiveness and how to overcome them.
• About the impulses that make you cut or cross-talk and how to slow down and listen.
• This increases comfort when leading and/or following.
• How does it feel to support and be supported by others on the team.
• How to use status behaviors to improve therapeutic and interprofessional relationships.
• How to improve other "soft" skills related to communication and collaboration.

For example, in the activity called Story at the Same Time, one person tells a story while their partner tries to tell it at the same time. The storyteller must be slow enough for the partner to say the same words at the same time, and the partner must pay close attention to facial expressions and voice. When people master this, they become highly engaged and focused. This is a very powerful way to teach basic listening skills like empathy, judgment, and curiosity.

Boynton Improv Education

P.O. Box 192, Portsmouth, NH
03802, USA
Phone: (603) 205-3509
Email Id: [email protected]
Website: https://bethboynton.com/