The I-ACT communication skills are grounded in relationship centered care and communication theory and practice. The toolbox itself draws on diverse communication models in healthcare, including provider, patient and relationship centered curricula nationally and internationally; reviews of literature and conference materials and discussions across the field of communication in healthcare; Interpersonal Communication Skills and Professionalism Competencies as defined by health professional licensing bodies and competency committees and extensive experience educating and remediating learners, providers and leaders in communication skills.

The goal of I-ACT is to provide clearly operationalizable communication skill items for faculty and learners, in order to remove subjectivity and bias from skills assessment. Unlike many of the communication models and guides it draws on, I-ACT holds fast to the concrete performance of a skill as it is accomplished in verbal and nonverbal behavior. Skill operationalizations were constructed by faculty trained in communication with a discourse-analytic background to consistently answer the question 'what does this skill look/sound like in the world?' We encourage you to do the same when thinking about how these skills look for your own programs.

In the videos on this page, the I-ACT communication skills are presented with a skill title and an operationalization or operational definition, alongside possible examples. We realize that different professions and faculty members may instruct their learners differently to perform these skills in alignment with disciplinary expectations; however, we urge faculty and learners to hold fast to the operational or concrete description of the skill when considering its translation into disciplinary contexts. The skills are defined as to be mutually exclusive as they are used for assessment purposes, and therefore need to be clear and concise. If you have any questions on how to provide instructions for your learners and faculty on these skills, please do not hesitate to contact us. The I-ACT collaborative considers the Toolbox a living, breathing document, responsive to the healthcare environment in which it finds itself. We look forward to hearing any feedback or insights you wish to provide!