The acronym AIDET stands for Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank You. Created by the Studer Group as a communication framework for health care professionals, AIDET is aimed at enhancing communication with patients, thereby decreasing patient anxiety, increasing compliance, and improving clinical outcomes. Its use has also been shown to improve patients' satisfaction and perceptions of care. Staff at a large urban academic medical center were trained on the use of AIDET. However, patient engagement scores on the Heart and Vascular Center unit remained low in certain domains. Simulation-based re-education is an effective strategy regarding retention of skills. Thus, we developed and implemented a series of in situ AIDET simulations, hypothesizing that staff training of AIDET could positively impact patient engagement scores. The in situ simulations provided an effective learning opportunity for Heart and Vascular Center staff to practice their AIDET communication skills in a familiar environment and receive real-time feedback. There was a slight increase for all questions of interest in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems program survey.
