Communication Skills Program for Healthcare Providers

Overseen By Hsien Seow, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: McMaster University

Disqualifiers: Non-healthcare workers

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

350 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs)?

Research shows that good communication skills in healthcare providers can improve patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and treatment compliance. Training programs focused on enhancing communication have been linked to better patient experiences and more effective healthcare delivery. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Communication Skills Program for Healthcare Providers safe for participants?

The research highlights the importance of training healthcare providers in communication skills to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events. While specific safety data for the program itself isn't provided, improving communication is generally seen as beneficial and safe for both providers and patients. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How is the ABCs treatment different from other communication skills programs for healthcare providers?

The ABCs treatment is unique because it focuses on improving communication skills among healthcare providers through a comprehensive program that includes individualized coaching, which helps reinforce skills learned in workshops, unlike many other programs that rely solely on single workshops. ^{11 12 13 14 15}

What is the purpose of this trial?

High quality, person-centered communication for those living with serious illness benefits patients, families and clinicians. Evidence shows that clinicians rarely engage patients in these, sometimes challenging, discussions. Current education programs to build health care provider competency in serious illness communication are often inconsistent in defined purpose and use of terms. This education also tends to be oriented to treatments, not a person or do not cover the full range of difficult conversations between diagnosis and delivery of end-of-life care. The ABCs program is an education intervention for health care providers that features a blended format of online modules and interactive virtual workshops, relevant to clinicians at all levels of training and practice. This study will examine the effectiveness of this training (over no training) for impacting provider competency and behavior change in serious illness communication. All participants in this study will receive the full ABCs training, but at different times. The overall intended impact of this program is to improve clinician confidence and satisfaction in having conversations with patients and families about serious illness. The ultimate goal of the ABCs program is to increase access to early palliative care by empowering more providers to initiate this care.

Research Team

Hsien Seow, PhD

Principal Investigator

McMaster University

Eligibility Criteria

The ABCs program is for healthcare providers who want to improve their communication skills with patients living with serious illnesses. It's designed for clinicians at all stages of their careers. Providers must be willing to participate in online modules and virtual workshops.

Inclusion Criteria

All individuals that work in a health care provision capacity including health care professionals, care coordinators and administrators are eligible to enroll and participate in the ABCs study.

Exclusion Criteria

Individuals, including patients, that do not work in a health care provision capacity.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Control Phase

Participants in the control group do not receive the ABCs education program initially

4 months

Intervention Phase

Participants receive the full ABCs education program, including online modules and interactive virtual workshops

4 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in communication skills and competency post-intervention

6 months

Treatment Details

Interventions

• All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs)

Trial Overview This trial tests the 'ABCs' education intervention against no training, aiming to enhance provider competency in serious illness conversations. Participants will receive training on how to better engage with patients about difficult topics from diagnosis through end-of-life care.

Participant Groups

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Full ABCs education program

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

No ABCs education program

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

McMaster University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

936

Recruited

2,630,000+

Health Canada

Collaborator

Trials

36

Recruited

38,700+

Findings from Research

The structured communication training program for medical students, consisting of four interactive lab sessions, significantly enhances their skills in patient-physician communication, which is crucial for improving patient satisfaction and treatment compliance.

Students reported increased confidence and understanding of their roles as future physicians after participating in the program, indicating that such training effectively prepares them for real patient interactions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching communication skills: a skills-based approach. Wagner, PJ., Lentz, L., Heslop, SD.[2022]

A review of 23 studies highlighted that healthcare professionals face challenges in effectively disclosing adverse events, indicating a need for better communication strategies and training.

Implementing specific interpersonal communication skills and fostering an open organizational culture can help healthcare professionals provide more effective and tailored disclosures to patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Disclosing Adverse Events in Clinical Practice: The Delicate Act of Being Open. Myren, BJ., de Hullu, JA., Bastiaans, S., et al.[2022]

The Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety developed a standardized disclosure process and training curriculum to help healthcare providers communicate adverse events to patients and families more effectively, involving a project team from 9 hospitals.

A pilot program at one hospital trained 48 healthcare professionals, resulting in a significant improvement in competency scores from 82.7% to 90.2%, with 100% of participants agreeing that the training enhanced their skills and patient outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Disclosure of Adverse Events: A Guide for Clinicians. Peterson, KA., Rutherford, M., Drvol, D., et al.[2022]

A significant number of adverse drug events (ADE) are linked to systemic factors, such as poor equipment design and inadequate staff scheduling, highlighting the need for improvements in healthcare systems.

The workshop identified key areas for action, including better data collection on ADE, improved communication among healthcare professionals, and enhanced information sharing with consumers to reduce the risks associated with ADE.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Towards system-wide strategies for reducing adverse drug events. Clark, RB., Graham, JD., Williamson, JA.[2019]

Patients' reactions to the disclosure of rare adverse events (AEs) vary significantly based on gender and ethnicity, with non-White men perceiving a higher risk of developing AEs compared to White men.

White women expressed more worry and a lower willingness to take medications associated with rare AEs, indicating that tailored communication strategies may be necessary to address these differences in risk perception.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patients' reaction to the disclosure of rare dreaded adverse events. Fraenkel, L., Peters, E.[2021]

A provider communication skills training (CST) program that included in-person coaching significantly improved patient satisfaction scores, increasing from 73.9% to 79.5% after the program.

The addition of coaching helped reinforce skills learned in CST workshops, leading to greater confidence among healthcare providers in applying these skills in clinical practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Individualized coaching in health system-wide provider communication training. Pedersen, K., Brennan, TMH., Nance, AD., et al.[2021]

References

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2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Patient-doctor communication. [2022]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Disclosing Adverse Events in Clinical Practice: The Delicate Act of Being Open. [2022]

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Disclosure of Adverse Events: A Guide for Clinicians. [2022]

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9. Australia pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Towards system-wide strategies for reducing adverse drug events. [2019]

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Patients' reaction to the disclosure of rare dreaded adverse events. [2021]

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Satisfaction with a 2-day communication skills course culturally tailored for medical specialists in Qatar. [2022]

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Individualized coaching in health system-wide provider communication training. [2021]

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Geriatrics communication skills training program for oncology healthcare providers to improve the management of care for older adults with cancer. [2023]

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Training in communication skills for self-efficacy of health professionals: a systematic review. [2023]