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ForwardNovember 5, 2026 GeriTalk: Mastering Tough Conversations Powered by VitalTalk
This course is open to both new and experienced clinicians from all professional disciplines, and practice settings. In this full-day communication training, participants will engage in real-time, supportive peer coaching and feedback to develop and/or reinforce their skills for effective serious illness communication with patients and their care partners. We highly recommend the opportunity to practice with peers in our full-day course, utilizing geriatrics and palliative care cases!
A full-day commitment is required.
Target Audience
This activity is intended for physicians, nurses, social workers, physician assistants, chaplains – nearly all (>90%) are within the MGB Division of Palliative Care, Aging, and Geriatric Medicine
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Use headlines to share information clearly and concisely
- Recognize and respond to emotion explicitly using NURSE statements
- Use VALUES to identify and align with values and priorities
- Practice combining skills with REMAP to conduct a serious illness conversation that concludes with a values-based recommendation
Additional Information
Course summary
- 6.00 AAPA Category I CME
- 6.00 ABIM Medical Knowledge
- 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 6.00 Nursing Contact Hours
- 6.00 Participation
All portions of this activity are facilitated by Lindsay Dow, MD & Kathleen Doyle, MD
| 9:00am | Welcome, Course Overview & Learning Objectives |
| 9:15 | Small Group Orientation & Establishing a Learning Community |
| 9:45 | Responding to Emotion Using REMAP: Interactive Didactic & Demonstration |
| 10:30 | Skills Practice 1: Responding to Emotion & Exploring Values |
| 11:00 | Skills Practice 2: Responding to Emotion & Exploring Values |
| 11:30 | Break |
| 11:40 | Skills Practice 3: Responding to Emotion & Exploring Values |
| 12:10pm | Reflection, Feedback & Skills Integration |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | Conducting Serious Illness Conversations Using REMAP: Didactic & Demonstration |
| 1:45 | Skills Practice 4: Conducting Serious Illness Conversations |
| 2:15 | Skills Practice 5: Conducting Serious Illness Conversations |
| 2:45 | Break |
| 2:55 | Skills Practice 6: Conducting Serious Illness Conversations |
| 3:25 | Reflection & Action Planning |
| 3:45 | Course Synthesis, Key Takeaways & Closing Discussion |
| 4:00pm | Adjournment |
Lindsay Dow, MD - Course Director
Physician, Palliative Care & Geriatric Medicine - Massachusetts General Hospital
Clinical Investigator, Mass General Research Institute
Kathleen Doyle, MD
Physician, Palliative Care & Geriatric Medicine - Massachusetts General Hospital
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
In support of improving patient care, Mass General Brigham is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credit Designation Statements
AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM
Mass General Brigham designates this live activity for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nursing
Mass General Brigham designates this activity for 6 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physician Assistants
Mass General Brigham has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 6 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Social Workers
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Mass General Brigham is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Mass General Brigham maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 6 continuing education credit.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) MOC Recognition Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 6.5 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Available Credit
- 6.00 AAPA Category I CME
- 6.00 ABIM Medical Knowledge
- 6.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 6.00 Nursing Contact Hours
- 6.00 Participation