PCE-007 - Reimagining Healthcare Communication Across Dental Education for Bridging Pathways, and Advancing Access

This session presents scalable strategies to integrate health care communication into pre- and postdoctoral dental curricula across disciplines. Attendees will engage with the Patient Engagement and Communication Evaluation (PEACE) rubric to assess communication competence. Interactive role-play, peer feedback and case discussions will support teaching empathy, listening, adaptability and cultural sensitivity. The session emphasizes communication as essential to patient-centered, collaborative care and reducing access barriers. A case study of successful curricular integration will be shared, along with actionable tools for embedding communication training through competency-based assessment, measurable learning outcomes and alignment with interprofessional education initiatives.