Fostering Civil Discourse and Collaboration in Academic Medicine: A Comprehensive Intervention Approach

Introduction: Rising global political polarization and distrust are impacting academic medicine. Intensified by events like COVID-19 and social unrest, these factors are leading to incivility, communication breakdowns, and compromised patient care. Restorative practice and civil discourse offer potential solutions by emphasizing community building and communication. This article describes a novel faculty development curriculum integrating Restorative Practice and civil discourse to enhance communication and conflict resolution. Methods: We developed "Community Building for Civil Discourse," a curriculum designed as a series of full-day, off-campus faculty development retreats. These retreats blended restorative practice principles with civil discourse models, aiming to enhance communication skills and foster connections among staff and faculty. We used pre- and post-surveys to assess knowledge acquisition, retreat effectiveness, and sense of belonging/hope, supplemented by qualitative data on experiences and challenges. Results: Two hundred ninety-four interprofessional individuals participated, demonstrating broad engagement. Post-retreat, 81% reported increased understanding of both reflective practice and civil discourse, 72.3% felt confident in applying community building skills, and 64% were confident in conducting civil discourse. Notably, 54% reported a high increase in belonging, and 74.9% expressed high levels of hope for the institution's future. An overwhelming 88% deemed the retreat an effective use of time. Conclusion: The challenges of polarization in academic medicine necessitate proactive interventions. Our findings emphasize the value of integrating Tier 1 Restorative Practice and civil discourse in fostering dialogue and belonging. This faculty development curriculum provides an evidence-based foundation for navigating contemporary academic complexities, enabling institutions to prevent harm, foster healing, and cultivate a more collaborative environment.