Table 2.

Learner preparedness for communication tasks before and after course

“Overall How Well Prepared Do You Feel to...”	Before Course^a	After Course^a	P Value^b
Give bad news to a family member about their loved one’s illness	3.36	4.36	<0.001
Express empathy	3.95	4.45	0.001
Conduct a family meeting	3.3	4.09	<0.001
Discuss various treatment options with families of critically ill patients	3.55	4.23	0.003
Discuss discontinuing or not initiating dialysis	3.14	4.27	<0.001
Respond to family members who want treatments that you believe are not indicated, specifically dialysis initiation	3.00	4.14	<0.001
Respond to families who deny the seriousness of their loved one’s illness	3.00	4.14	<0.001
Discuss religious or spiritual issues with families	2.91	3.91	<0.001
Elicit a family’s concerns at the end of a patient’s life	3.18	4.27	<0.001

↵a Mean response as indicated on Likert scale: 1=not well prepared, 3=somewhat prepared, 5=very well prepared.
↵b P<0.05 is considered significant.