Pilot Testing of an Equity Focused and Trauma-informed Communication Intervention During Family-centered Rounds (EFTI)

May 11, 2026 updated by: Duke University

Development and Pilot Testing of an Equity-focused and Trauma-informed Communication Intervention During Family-centered Rounds

Development and pilot testing of a clinician coaching communication intervention to improve communication between medical teams and caregivers (parents, family members) of children in the hospital. Our team is specifically focused on improving partnership, respect, and collaboration with Black and Latinx caregivers of children in the hospital by incorporating elements from trauma-informed care and racial equity into a communication intervention. The investigators will explore the impact of this intervention on communication quality, caregiver trust, caregiver satisfaction, and hospital readmissions.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

When admitted to the hospital, Black and Latino(a/x) children are at greater risk of medical errors, surgical complications, longer, more-costly hospital stays, and mortality compared to White children. Although many factors play a role, poor clinician communication likely contributes to these disparities in health outcomes. Across settings, including our preliminary work in the inpatient pediatric environment, Black and Latino(a/x) patients have been shown to experience worse communication quality as evidenced by less patient and family-centered, empathic, and respectful communication as compared to White patients. Poor communication can make the hospital stay more stressful for caregivers, with implications for caregiver and child health and recovery from illness. While prior experiences of discrimination and trauma can negatively affect clinician-caregiver communication, current best practices in clinician communication fail to incorporate equity and trauma-informed principles. In this study the investigators will test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a pilot randomized waitlist control trial of an equity focused and trauma-informed clinician coaching communication intervention that aims to teach clinicians skills to improve communication in areas where inequities are known to exist (i.e. respect, partnership) and incorporate principles of equity (i.e affirmation) and trauma-informed care. To do this, first the investigators will co-develop and refine a clinician coaching communication intervention with iterative feedback from Black and Latino(a/x) caregivers as well as clinicians of children in the hospital. Second, the investigators will examine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the intervention. The investigators will randomize 10 clinicians to an intervention or waitlist group; clinicians in the intervention group will receive the intervention immediately, while clinicians in the waitlist group will initially serve as the control arm then receive the intervention to provide feasibility and acceptability data. The investigators will assess the feasibility of recruiting and collecting data as well as acceptability of the intervention by clinicians. The investigators will explore preliminary efficacy for the effect of the intervention on communication, caregiver satisfaction, caregiver trust, and hospital readmissions.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
51

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27710
        • Duke University Health Sustem

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Eligibility criteria for caregivers:

  • Adults (18 years of age or older)
  • Proficient in English or Spanish
  • Capable of providing informed consent
  • Identified as a primary caregiver (parent or guardian) of a hospitalized Black or Latino(a/x) child on the general pediatrics team.
  • We will exclude caregivers of children undergoing evaluation for child abuse/neglect or other cases in which the medical team believes family-centered rounds are not appropriate.

Eligibility criteria for clinicians:

  • pediatric attending physicians who provide hospital care to children at Duke Children's Hospital.
  • Capable of providing informed consent
  • We will exclude clinicians who do not provide hospital care to children on the general pediatrics team.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Clinician Coaching Immediate Intervention Arm-- Caregivers

Clinicians who receive the intervention will participate for up to 12 months, which includes completion of didactics, 8 audio-recorded clinical encounters, 4 feedback sessions, and completion of a post-intervention brief interview and survey. After completing didactic training elements, clinicians will receive coaching and professional feedback on their communication with caregivers of children in the hospital. The investigators will provide clinicians with illustrative examples from their encounters to prompt discussion and self-reflection.

Caregivers of hospitalized children will not know if their clinician has received the communication intervention. The investigators will recruit 40 caregivers in this arm.
Behavioral: Equity Focused and Trauma-Informed Communication Intervention
Clinician communication intervention that includes didactic training and real-time feedback on communication behaviors during clinical encounters.
Other: Clinician Coaching Wait-List Control Arm-- Caregivers

Clinicians in the wait-list control arm will initially serve as the control arm then receive the intervention to provide feasibility and acceptability data. The clinicians randomized the control arm will undergo didactics and feedback once their pre-intervention audio-recordings are complete.

Caregivers of hospitalized children will not know if their clinician has yet received the communication intervention. The investigators will recruit 40 caregivers in this arm prior to clinicians receiving the intervention.
Behavioral: Equity Focused and Trauma-Informed Communication Intervention
Clinician communication intervention that includes didactic training and real-time feedback on communication behaviors during clinical encounters.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility Measured by Enrollment Rate of Clinicians and Caregivers
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Up to 12 months
Feasibility Measured by the Rate of Complete Data Collection by Caregivers
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Up to 12 months
Fidelity Measured by the Rate of Intervention Elements Completed Per Encounter by Clinicians
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Up to 12 months
Acceptability of the Intervention as Measured by the Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM)
Time Frame: Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm
The AIM has 4 items, each with a response on 5 point Likert scale (1=completely disagree to 5=completely agree). The score will be averaged for all items for a total score range of 1 to 5, where a higher score indicates great acceptability. Reported for all hospital clinicians after receiving the intervention (i.e., both clinicians assigned to immediately receive the intervention and the waitlist group).
Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm
Feasibility Measured by the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM)
Time Frame: Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm
The FIM has 4 items, each with a response on 5 point Likert scale (1=completely disagree to 5=completely agree). The score will be averaged for all items for a total score range of 1 to 5, where a higher score indicates great feasibility. Reported for all hospital clinicians after receiving the intervention (i.e., both clinicians assigned to immediately receive the intervention and the waitlist group).
Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm
Number of Clinician Rapport-building Statements
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Clinician communication behaviors measured via audio-recorded hospital encounters.
Up to 12 months
Number of Clinician Partnership-building Statements
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Clinician communication behaviors measured via audio-recorded hospital encounters.
Up to 12 months
Number of Times Team Interrupted the Caregiver
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Clinician communication behaviors measured via audio-recorded hospital encounters.
Up to 12 months
Number of Times the Team Praised the Caregiver
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Clinician communication behaviors measured via audio-recorded hospital encounters.
Up to 12 months
Number of Times the Team Asked Permission
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Clinician communication behaviors measured via audio-recorded hospital encounters.
Up to 12 months
Caregiver Satisfaction Measured by Survey
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Satisfaction was measured with a single item. Response options: 1=Not at all satisfied, 2= A little satisfied, 3= Satisfied, 4=Extremely Satisfied.
Up to 12 months
Caregiver Trust in Their Childs Doctors Measured by the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Trust was measured using a validated 5-item measure, the Wake Forest Physician Trust Scale. Responses to each item were a 5-point Likert scale, which was averaged together for these analyses for a total score range of 1 to 5, where a higher score indicates greater trust.
Up to 12 months
Caregiver Reported Communication Quality Measured by the Interpersonal Processes of Care Short Form (IPC-18)
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
All IPC items use an identical set of response options: 1='never'; 2='rarely'; 3='sometimes'; 4='usually'; 5='always.' Scale scores are calculated as the mean of non-missing responses to the corresponding items (i.e., item responses are averaged, not summed). Domains of hurried and discrimination were reverse coded so that higher scores represented better communication.
Up to 12 months
Caregiver Reported Communication Quality Measured by the Interpersonal Processes of Care Short Form (IPC-18)
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
All IPC items use an identical set of response options: 1='never'; 2='rarely'; 3='sometimes'; 4='usually'; 5='always.' Scale scores are calculated as the mean of non-missing responses to the corresponding items (i.e., item responses are averaged, not summed). Lower scores represent better communication.
Up to 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Caregiver Participatory Behaviors
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
The investigators will measure caregiver participation during clinical encounters by counting the number of times caregivers (1) ask a question, (2) state a preference and (3) express an emotion per clinician encounter. These three behaviors will be summed together and analyzed in aggregate as a count of caregiver participatory behaviors.
Up to 12 months
Change in Caregiver Salivary Cortisol
Time Frame: 30-60 minutes before and 20-30 minutes after FCR
The investigators will assess for reductions in caregiver salivary cortisol following interactions with clinical teams. The investigators will collect saliva samples from caregivers at two time points: 30-60 minutes before and 20-30 minutes after family-centered rounds (FCR). The investigators anticipate lower salivary cortisol levels in the intervention compared to control arm at 20-30 minutes following FCR. The investigators will also compare differences in the change in cortisol from before and after FCR for each caregiver; the investigators hypothesize caregivers in the intervention arm will have a smaller change from baseline following FCR.
30-60 minutes before and 20-30 minutes after FCR
Percentage of Caregivers Who Correctly Identify Child's Diagnosis
Time Frame: Up to 12 months
Using validated approach described by Lion et al. the caregiver description of "the main condition child was admitted for" will be compared to the diagnoses listed by the child's doctors in the electronic health record.
Up to 12 months
Percentage of Participants With Hospital Readmission at 30 Days
Time Frame: Up to 30 days after discharge
Child unplanned hospital readmission
Up to 30 days after discharge

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of Participants With Hospital Readmission at 90 Days
Time Frame: Up to 90 days after discharge
Child unplanned hospital readmission
Up to 90 days after discharge
Appropriateness Measured by the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM)
Time Frame: Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm
The IAM has 4 items, each with a response on 5 point Likert scale (1=completely disagree to 5=completely agree). The score will be averaged for all items for a total score range of 1 to 5, where a higher score indicates great appropriateness. Reported for all hospital clinicians after receiving the intervention (i.e., both clinicians assigned to immediately receive the intervention and the waitlist group).
Up to 12 months following the coaching intervention for each arm

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Duke University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Victoria M. Parente, MD, Duke University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 29, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 29, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 25, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 9, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 16, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Pro00111356
  • 1K23MD018433 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data will only be available to individuals on the Institutional Review Board protocol. We will share study protocol documents including intervention didactic materials and outcome measure assessments.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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