ABSTRACT
SAGE & THYME (S&T) is the most commonly taught foundation level (FL) communication skills workshop for healthcare professionals in the UK, using group work, a presentation and live rehearsals. COVID-19 necessitated online training. The programme was adapted to include: guidance on using Zoom;a presentation delivered conversational style;group work in breakout rooms;discussing a film (replacing live rehearsals);and using polls and chat to maintain engagement. Eighteen online workshops were run Oct 2020-July 2021. An online survey captured learner feedback post-workshop. Mean number of learners per workshop was 13 (minimum 5, maximum 19). Learner job roles included: nurse (37%), healthcare assistant (9%), manager (5%), and occupational therapist (4%). Of the 255 learners, 214 (84%) completed the survey. 69.2% of learners learned 'a lot', 29.0% 'a moderate amount' and 1.9% 'a little' about listening and responding to concerns. Learner rating for: 'I am more confident about listening and responding to concerns after receiving the S&T training' was: 67.5% strongly agree;31.1% agree;1.4% neither agree nor disagree. Learner rating for: 'I am more willing to talk to people who are emotionally troubled after receiving S&T training' was: 55.7% strongly agree;39.0% agree;3.8% neither agree nor disagree;1.4% disagree. When asked 'how likely is this training to influence your practice', the learners responded: 81.1% very likely;17.9% likely;0.5% neither likely/unlikely;0.5% very unlikely. 96.2% strongly agreed/agreed that they found the training enjoyable. 93.4% definitely and 6.6% possibly would recommend the training. The key learning outcomes were the same as with face-to-face training: listening fully, holding back with advice, and allowing patients to identify their own solutions. Online communication skills training for healthcare professionals can increase knowledge, change attitudes to listening and responding to concerns, be enjoyable, and motivate learners to change their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Patient Education & Counseling is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)