Exploring Pediatric Trainees’ Experiences Using AI-Supported Deliberate Practice to Improve Serious Illness Conversations with English-Speaking Families in Quebec

Talking with patients and families about serious illnesses is one of the most important—and hardest—parts of being a pediatric doctor. Residents (doctors in training) need to be able to guide these conversations with care and empathy. But they often do not get enough chances to practice, and sometimes their first serious illness conversation happens with a real family. This can be stressful for families and for the resident, and it can affect how well information and support are shared.

For English-speaking families in Quebec, there are extra challenges. Most medical training and many clinical discussions happen in French. This means residents have very few chances to practice these important conversations in English. When doctors are not able to practice in a family’s preferred language, it can lead to misunderstandings or less compassionate care. This is especially important for English-speaking patients and families in Quebec’s Official Language Minority Communities.

 This project will test a new way to help residents practice. An artificial intelligence (AI) training tool will let pediatric residents practice serious illness conversations in English in a safe and realistic way. The tool gives residents repeated opportunities to try difficult conversations and learn from feedback, without risking distress for real families.

Residents who use the tool will take part in interviews to share what they thought about it, how it helped them, and how it could be improved. The results will help create better training programs and improve communication and care for English-speaking children and families in Quebec

Outputs:

Coming soon…