Press Releases

December 4, 2006

Planet Productions Creates Scenario-Based e-learning Program for OHSU to Help Improve Physician-Patient Communication

Focused On Advancing Medical Education and Enhancing Mental Healthcare for the Elderly

Planet Productions, an expert in custom e-learning solutions, today announced that Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), one of the largest Pacific Northwest health and research universities, has selected Planet Productions to create an e-learning program that simulates a doctor and patient interaction. Rather than focus on the traditional medical questions or primary complaint, this program helps the doctor identify possible mental health issues for their treatment plan. The benefits are great: enhanced patient care through a more holistic approach to healthcare, identifying the real patient problem more quickly, lessen the need for tests and reduced overall healthcare costs.

“E-learning is more effective in that it uses a simulated environment and can be an almost real experience,” said Stephen Kliewer. D.Min., Mental Health Director, Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness, Department of Family Medicine, OHSU. “Since patient-centered care requires more than clinical competency, OHSU is working to develop the interpersonal skills of physicians and residents to support the full range of competencies required of today’s doctors. This web-based presentation also allows OHSU to reach a large, widely-distributed audience, helping us to reduce our training costs.”

“In today’s managed healthcare environment physicians and providers are often rushed through patient encounters and if they do not take the time to really listen to their patients, physicians can miss especially important mental health issues such as depression, said Dean McCrea, vice president, sales and marketing for Planet Productions. “We are excited to be helping OHSU meet their patient-centered care goals through our leadership training solutions.”

About the Program – Leading Edge Training

This scenario-based learning program, called Listening Skills, emotionally draws the learner into real world experiences and gives them the opportunity to explore various options and responses based on what they heard. Simulation technology enables the student to learn and practice as often as necessary in order to fine-tune their communication skills, and enhance the outcome of the patient interaction.

Planet developed three video learning scenarios in which the physician conducts patient interviews. The physician hears the patient’s description of their symptoms and is presented various options: ordering additional tests, redirecting the conversation, treating the condition or asking more questions. As they make their selections, they receive feedback as to why their response was most appropriate or how they could have better served the patient by asking additional questions. They are encouraged to explore the outcomes of all the options.

Patient-Centered Care

“OHSU focuses on providing care that really centers on the patient – both from a physical and mental standpoint,” said Kliewer. “The focus of care is really moving to a sense of wellness and healing and moving away from just the physical care.” In his work Kliewer sees some of newer doctors that have gone through these curriculum and they seem to identify mental healthcare needs better. Learning to work more collaboratively with these patients is key according to Kliewer.

The program is targeted to older patients and focuses on identifying potential mental health issue like depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 2 million Americans age 65 and older have a depressive illness and another 5 million may have “subsyndromal depression,” or depressive symptoms that fall short of meeting full diagnostic criteria for a disorder, but can soon turn to major depression.

According to OHSU a vast majority of elderly with mental health issues go to their primary care physician. “The goal for us is to help the physician detect mental and even spiritual issues and we are doing this by improving their communication skills and teach them to follow clues, concludes Kliewer. He also believes that from a business perspective it’s just good medicine.

About Planet Productions

Planet Productions develops custom e-Learning programs to address business challenges through a creative, collaborative and flexible design process. Established in 1991, Planet Productions is based in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.planetproductions.com, or call us at 503-241-1644.

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