Patient Communication Training Intervention

A Feasibility Study of a Patient Communication Training Intervention

The purpose of this study is to test a class for Queens Cancer Center patients. We want to find out if patients think this program is helpful.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Questionnaires and training workshop

Detailed Description

It is well accepted that effective physician-patient communication is associated with important outcomes. Communication training interventions for oncologists and other clinicians has been shown to be effective in changing behavior and improving outcomes. Less attention has been given to improving cancer patients' communication with their physicians. Most of the studies in this area have been focused on activating patients through training them to ask questions. Although question asking is a vitally important patient communication skill, other patient communication skills should also be encouraged for patients.

In the primary care setting, studies on patient communication training have focused on three additional communication skills to asking questions: presenting information, checking understanding, and expressing concerns. The goal of this study is to pilot test a patient communication workshop that builds on the work done in the primary care setting, offering an intervention that focuses on a broad range of skills. The proposal aims to improve communication skills in an underserved population, which may be a factor contributing to minority health disparities.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 32

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • Jamaica, New York, United States, 11432
      • Queens Hospital Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients in the Queen Cancer Center Clinic waiting room.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients seeing a physician at Queens Cancer Center (not family members or partners)
• Able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Less than 18 years of age (as per self-report)
• Cognitive or physical impairment rendering patients incapable of providing informed consent to participate in the study.
• As the workshop will be given in English and the measures are all written in English, subjects who are not fluent in English will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
communication training workshop; The patient intervention is a 1 hour communication workshop entitled: "Getting the Most out of your Doctor's Visit." The workshops will be offered to both patients and family members, but data will be collected only for patients. The workshops will be held on location at Queens Cancer Center.	Behavioral: Questionnaires and training workshop; We will recruit a minimum of 1 and maximum of 12 patients for each workshop. The workshop will follow the approximate time table below: 10 minutes: Sign-in, welcome and introductions 25 minutes: Didactic session, videos and discussion 10 minutes: Group discussion 15 minutes: Closing plenary and final assessment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
To determine the feasibility of a patient communication training intervention.	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
To attain preliminary data on the acceptability of the intervention through patient ratings of effectiveness and usefulness of the intervention.	2 years
To attain preliminary data on the effect of a patient communication training intervention on patients' self-reported communication behaviors.	2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Collaborators: Queens Health Network
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Carma Bylund-Lincoln, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 1, 2009
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 2, 2009
• First Posted (Estimate): July 7, 2009

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 23, 2011
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 22, 2011
• Last Verified: November 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Questionnaires; Communication; Multiple Diseases; Training Workshop
• Other Study ID Numbers: 08-148