Specific training program improves oncologists' palliative care communication skills in a randomized controlled...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Oncology
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for oncologists, especially during the sensitive transition to palliative care.
• Current communication skills training (CST) may not be sufficiently concise or individualized for busy clinicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of COM-ON-p, a concise and individualized CST program, in enhancing oncologists' communication skills.
• To assess improvements in skills related to palliative care transitions, global communication, and involving significant others.

Main Methods:

• Forty-one physicians were randomized into an intervention group (IG) or control group (CG).
• The IG underwent the 11-hour COM-ON-p training, including a workshop and coaching.
• Communication skills were assessed via video-recorded consultations before and after the intervention using a blinded rater checklist.

Main Results:

• The IG demonstrated significant improvements in palliative care transition skills, global communication, and involvement of significant others compared to the CG (P < .01).
• Effect sizes for the improvements were medium to large, indicating a substantial impact of the training.

Conclusions:

• Concise, individualized CST (COM-ON-p) effectively trains physicians to manage communication challenges during the transition to palliative care.
• Further research is needed to confirm the generalization and transfer of these improved skills into routine clinical practice.