2023 Annual Report

In 2023, Vital Talk remained steadfast in its commitment to advancing healthcare communication amidst evolving challenges and opportunities. The year witnessed a strategic pivot towards online courses, breaking down barriers to accessibility and empowering providers to engage with VitalTalk reliably. Furthermore, our focus on inclusivity deepened with the introduction of scholarship programs aimed at underrepresented healthcare providers, ensuring diverse voices are heard in the pursuit of excellence. Alongside these initiatives, our return to in-person courses signaled a renewed sense of connection and community, enriching the learning experience for all. These efforts were underpinned by a dedication to driving meaningful impact in patient care, as evidenced by our expanding reach and partnerships with institutions worldwide. As we navigate the complexities of healthcare education, our resolve to foster compassionate and effective communication remains unwavering, guided by the belief that together, we can transform the future of healthcare one conversation at a time.

A LETTER FROM OUR CEO

Dear Valued Members of our Vital Talk Community,

Reflecting on the journey of 2023 fills us with pride and gratitude for the incredible path we have embarked upon together. It is with great pleasure that we share with you the milestones we have achieved hand in hand with our esteemed faculty community.

At our second annual summit in 2022, where the spirit of collaboration and innovation ignited, we listened intently to the resounding call from our faculty members for greater diversity within our community. Fueled by this desire for inclusivity, we set forth a strategic initiative for 2023 dedicated to expanding access and amplifying impact.

Access

Traditionally confined to in-person sessions, the onset of the pandemic prompted us to swiftly pivot towards delivering live remote courses. But we didn’t stop there. In 2023, we embarked on a journey to break down barriers to accessibility by introducing a range of new online asynchronous courses. These offerings are designed to be accessible anytime, anywhere, and on any device, empowering clinicians to engage with our content amidst their demanding schedules. Furthermore, we have made these courses available at a significantly reduced price point, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder accessing our resources.

Impact

Enhancing access is not merely a goal; it is the cornerstone of our mission to drive meaningful impact in patient care. Last year marked a pivotal moment as we broadened our horizons to cater to a more diverse clinical audience. In addition to providing continued medical education units (CMEs) for prescribing clinicians, our newly launched asynchronous courses extend content to nurses, social workers, and individuals from marginalized communities. Through strategic partnerships with a historically black university, we have facilitated scholarships for clinicians underrepresented in medicine to enroll in courses for free.

The achievements of 2023 stand as a testament to our collective dedication and unwavering commitment to excellence. None of this would have been possible without the visionary contributions of our board and esteemed faculty community, who have played an instrumental role in shaping our evolving course offerings.

At Vital Talk, we aim to improve patient care by equipping clinicians with the gold-standard, evidence-based communication skills they need to thrive. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Cambia Health Foundation and John A. Hartford Foundation for their unwavering support in our ongoing pursuit of excellence.

As we journey forward, let’s keep inspiring and supporting each other, recognizing that together, we can build on last year’s momentum and further expand content for clinicians in 2024.

Regards,

Lynsey Seabrook, Chief Executive Officer

BUILDING CONNECTION: vitaltalk's newest course

We are excited to introduce VitalTalk’s newest course, Building Connection. In this course, providers learn practical skills to promote racial equity in healthcare communication. Challenging clinical conversations are even higher stakes when equity is a factor. Patients who have experienced racism in past clinical encounters are understandably wary. And well-meaning clinicians can inadvertently say the wrong thing and make matters worse. In this course, participants learn how to find out about a patient’s experiences of racism and acknowledge past harm; check in if you’ve caused offense, apologize, and commit to doing better; and express respect for a patient’s lived experience, affirm their narrative, and create a plan that aligns with their values.

Bringing Online Courses to Life

We would like to recognize and celebrate Indiana University Health as the first organization to pilot our Building Connection course. The IUH Office of Health Equity Research and Engagement provided the course to a cohort of clinical ethicists, followed by live practice with VitalTalk trained faculty.

In 2023, we partnered with Community First Hawai’i to customize a live, virtual community of practice session following completion of our Navigating Serious Conversations online course. We worked with Community First Hawai’i to ensure that the case scenarios learners used to practice their communication skills were aligned with their local practice settings and incorporated Hawaiian cultural perspectives.

7259

healthcare providers were taught in 2023. This is 15% more learners than in 2022. To date, VitalTalk has taught 39,424 providers to communicate more effectively and compassionately.

Learners taught by course in 2023

462

Learners taught in our Navigating Serious Conversations courses (35%). In this course, learners watch videos, identify common pitfalls with patients, and learn the skills to avoid them.

404

Learners taught in our Delivering Serious News courses (30%). In this course, learners learn to recognize emotional cues that patients commonly give in discussions about serious news and how to respond.

338

Learners taught in our Mastering Tough Conversations courses (25%). In this course, learners practice role-playing with live simulated patients for deep, experiential learning.

24 providers completed Faculty Development via in-person courses in 2023.

159 providers completed Faculty Development via virtual courses in 2023.

183 providers completed Faculty Development bringing the total number of VitalTalk faculty to 1,231.

*VitalTalk faculty are healthcare providers licensed to teach VitalTalk courses at their home institution.

total live courses taught in 2023

VitalTalk offers multiple evidence-based skills training courses for individual healthcare providers and health systems alike. Through online courses, live instruction, or train-the-trainer courses, our flexible and adaptable approach works with a variety of healthcare provider sub-specialties and institution types, with customized entry points to fit a multitude of needs. In 2023, VitalTalk taught 564 courses to 7,259 healthcare providers. See the list below to see how many of each course took place.

18 Mastering Tough Conversations Courses

15 Train the Trainer Courses

529 Courses Taught by VitalTalk Faculty (303 virtual courses | 230 in-person courses | 16 other)

learners taught by vitaltalk faculty in 2023

VitalTalk faculty teach face-to-face and/or virtual communication courses that utilize VitalTalk’s pedagogy, framework and modules at their home institutions. These courses teach skills for early palliative care discussions and late palliative care discussions using simulated patients.

5880

learners taught by our Faculty in 2023.

By comparison, in 2022 Vitalk faculty taught 4,866 learners in 580 courses.

institutions by learner taught in 2023

VitalTalk faculty work at 321 healthcare institutions around the globe. These faculty teach live communication courses to healthcare providers at their home institutions. Listed below are the top 10 institutions by learners taught in live courses:

460 learners | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

359 learners | Oregon Health & Science University

358 learners | Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

274 learners | University of Michigan

261 learners | Indiana University

224 learners | University of Washington

212 learners | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

200 learners | University of Toronto

177 learners | Columbia University Irving Medical Center

160 learners | University of Utah

geographic reach

United States

Canada

Europe

Australia

Hong Kong

New Zealand

Japan

Mexico

financial overview

In 2023, Vital Talk continued to offer several virtual courses every month. These courses have become a cornerstone of our offerings since we developed them in response to COVID restrictions, as they have proved to be an easier format for many clinicians to fit into their busy schedules. We are happy to see that an unanticipated outcome of this shift is that we have been able to expand our reach more easily, even partnering with institutions around the world with greater ease. While our virtual courses are very successful and have become integral to our model, this year we were delighted to be able to return in part to the live courses you know and love. Vital Talk held 3 courses in person this year for the first time since 2020, in Park City, Utah.

Our focus this year has been on expanding the accessibility and applicability of our courses to a more diverse audience of practitioners. We have two key strategies for reaching more rural hospitals and new fields of practice. First, we continue to develop fully online courses that clinicians can take at their own pace where it fits in their schedule. These courses can be offered at a lower cost and offer an easier point of entry. Second, is our new scholarship program. In 2023, the first three learners began their Vital Talk journey. This initiative is partly funded by the continued support of the Hartford Foundation and University of Washington, as well as the generosity of donors around the country.