26 - Effective Communication in Research: Using Micro-Trainings to Teach Interpersonal Skills for Recruiting in the Emergency Department

Background:  Research staff are well-trained in human subjects protection and good clinical practice, but interpersonal communication skills are often overlooked. This gap can compromise ethical interactions and undermine rapport, particularly when engaging with vulnerable families under stressful, time-sensitive conditions where trust, empathy, and clarity are essential for informed, respectful consent.

Program

Description:  The Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clinical Trials Network (SIREN) supports emergency medicine research at over 200 U.S. and international sites. To address a common gap in interpersonal communication skills, the SIREN Education Coordinator developed a series of 10–15 minute micro-trainings on topics such as motivational interviewing (MI), plain language use, and active listening. Leveraging the network’s size and structure, trainings were integrated into monthly coordinator calls and annual investigator meetings, allowing the program to reach a wide, varied audience with minimal disruption. These interpersonal strategies are not only communication enhancers—they support ethical, person-centered consent by promoting trust, empathy, and clarity in high-stress interactions. Each session was followed by a feedback survey assessing: (1) Perceived usefulness (2) Confidence in applying the skill (3) Likelihood of using the skill in consent conversations (4) Interest in extended training (5) Survey results informed future offerings, reinforcing the value of embedding interpersonal skill-building into routine research operations.

Program

Assessment:  Preliminary feedback indicates high satisfaction and engagement with the micro-trainings. Across modules, 97–100% of participants said they would recommend the training to others. After the motivational interviewing session, 67% reported the training would change how they engage with hesitant participants, and 79% felt more prepared to handle ambivalence. Ratings were high across all learning outcomes, with averages above 4.4 out of 5 for understanding core MI principles and for the training’s clarity and usefulness. Similarly, the plain language session was well received: 64% of participants anticipated it would change how they communicate with participants and LARs, and 68% felt more prepared to simplify complex study information while maintaining accuracy. Participants cited the ethical importance of improving health literacy and highlighted practical takeaways like the teach-back method and examples of affirming language. Open-ended feedback emphasized the value of integrating interpersonal strategies into high-pressure research settings and requested additional scenarios, examples, and role play in future sessions. These findings underscore the ethical and practical relevance of brief, embedded interpersonal skills training for research teams.

Limitations: Though coordinators expressed high satisfaction and intent to apply these skills, the program’s impact on measurable recruitment or retention outcomes remains unclear. Data collection was limited to self-reported feedback, and the absence of a control group or objective recruitment metrics limits causal conclusions. Additionally, varying institutional practices and staff experience levels across sites may have influenced perceived training value and implementation.

Discussion:  This program demonstrates how brief, embedded communication training can advance human subjects' protection by strengthening the ethical foundation of participant and LAR interactions. Participant feedback highlights that interpersonal strategies like motivational interviewing, plain language, and active listening are practical and ethically meaningful. Respondents reported increased preparedness to manage ambivalence, simplify complex information, and foster trust during consent - especially in time-sensitive, high-stress environments. Embedding training into existing workflows enhanced accessibility and sustainability. Future efforts will include a long-form series, more interactive elements, and evaluation of performance metrics to further assess the impact on ethical, participant-centered research conduct.