Investigator Profile: Sara Kim, PhD - Department of Surgery

Research Interests

Dr. Kim holds the George G. B. Bilsten Professorship in the Art of Communication with Peers and Patients. This professorship is an important platform for creating and implementing novel research and teaching programs in communication skills, with a particular emphasis on healthcare conflict management, speaking up skills, and negotiating power hierarchy. Based on partnerships with a wide range of clinical, administrative and educational stakeholders across UW Medicine, Dr. Kim has been awarded funding by the UW Medicine Patient Safety and Innovations Program (PSIP) and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to examine sources of workplace conflicts. Her team’s work has generated pilot training models that aim at improving healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude and skills in handling interpersonal conflicts and negotiating power dynamics in expressing one’s concerns and opinions. Her work has been shared with audiences locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and has been published in journals such as Journal of Interprofessional Care, Journal of Healthcare Quality, and Conflict Resolution Quarterly.

Collaborators

Funding

Speaking Up for Promoting the Culture of Safety: Piloting the SPEAK-PREP Tool”. UW Medicine Patient Safety Innovations Program (PSIP). PI $50,000. July 2017-December 2018.
A Model for Creating and Sustaining A Culture of Speaking Up. PI, Arnold P. Gold Foundation $15,000. November 2015– February 2017.
Equalizing Voices: the Power Hierarchy in Healthcare. PI, Arnold P. Gold Foundation. PI, $5,000. September 2015– February 2017.
Conflict Negotiation in Healthcare: A New Paradigm of Theory and Practice Arnold P. Gold Foundation. PI, $5,000. August 2013– February 2015.
Entrenched Conflict at Workplaces: Promoting Patient Safety Using an Experiential Training Model. UW Medicine Patient Safety Innovations Program (PSIP). PI, $50,000. February 2013 – February 2014.
Pilot Web Assessment, American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. PI, $100,000. June 2008-May 2009.

Significant Publications

Umoren, RA, Kim, S, Best, JA, Gray, MM, Robins, L. An Interprofessional Model on Speaking Up Behavior in Healthcare Professionals: A Qualitative Study. BMJ Leader. Accepted.
Bochatay, N, Kuna, A, Csupor, E, Pintér, JN, Muller-Juge, V, Hudelson, P, Nendaz, M, Csabai, M, Bajwa, NM, Kim, S. The role of power in healthcare conflict: recommendations for shifting towards constructive approaches. Academic Medicine. 2020 Oct 13.
Barr KP, Reyes MR, Kim S. “Hot Seat” Simulation to Teach Conflict Management Skills to Residents. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2020 Aug;12(4):485-8.
Corey B, Yule S, Kim S. Promoting Excellence in Surgical Educational Research: A Review of Research Methods. InSuccess in Academic Surgery: Developing a Career in Surgical Education 2019 (pp. 143-158). Springer, Cham.
Bajwa, M, Bochatay, N, Muller-Juge, V, Cullati, S, Blondon, KS, Perron NJ, Maître, F, Chopard, P, Vu, NV, Kim, S, Savoldelli, GL, Hudelson, P, Nendaz, MR. Intra versus Interprofessional Conflicts: Implications for Conflict Management Training. Journal of Interprofessional Care. 2019 July:16:1-10.
Best, JA, Kim, S. The FIRST Curriculum: Cultivating “Speaking Up” Behaviors in the Clinical Learning Environment. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. 2019;50(8):355-361.
Bochatay, N, Bajwa, NM, Cullati, S, Muller-Juge, V, Blondon, KS, Junod Perron, N, Maître, F, Chopard, P, Vu, NV, Kim, S, Savoldelli, GL, Hudelson, P, Nendaz, MR. A Multilevel Analysis of Professional Conflicts in Health Care Teams: Insight for Future Training. Acad Med. 2017 Nov;92(11S Association of American Medical Colleges Learn Serve Lead: Proceedings of the 56th Annual Research in Medical Education Sessions):S84-S92.
Kim, S, Buttrick, E, Bohanon, I, Fehr, R, Frans, E, Shannon, S. From A “Hot Seat” Simulation Model for Conflict Resolution: A Pilot Study”. Journal of Healthcare Quality. 2018:40(4):177-186.
Kim, S, Lee, YM, Bochatay, N, Relyea-Chew, A, Buttrick, E, Amdahl, C, Kim, L, Frans, E, Mossanen, M, Fehr, R. Individual, Interpersonal and Organizational Factors of Healthcare Conflict: A Scoping Review. Journal of Interprofessional Care. 2017:31(3):282-90.
Kim, S, Buttrick, E, Bohannon, I, Fehr, R, Frans, E, Shannon, SE. When Focusing on the Patient is Complicated: Conflict Narratives from the Healthcare Frontline. Conflict Resolution Quarterly. 2016:33(3):255-277.
Kim, S, Dunkin, BJ, Paige, JT, Eggerstedt, JM, Nicholas, C, Vassilliou, M, Spight, DH, Pliego, JF, Rush, RM, Lau, JN, Carpenter, RO, Scott, DJ. What’s The Future of Surgical Training?: Needs Assessment of National Stakeholders. Surgery. 2014;156:707-17.
Kim, S, Jabori, S, O'Connell, J, Freeman, S, Fung, CC, Ekram, S, Unawame, A, Van Norman,G. Research Methodologies in Informed Consent Studies Involving Surgical and Invasive Procedures: Time to Re-examine? Patient Education and Counseling. 2013;93:559–566.

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