Provider Coaching for Patient Satisfaction

Not currently recruiting at 1 trial location

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Mayo Clinic

Disqualifiers: Non-clinicians, Residents, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if coaching or communication classes can enhance patient satisfaction and job satisfaction for doctors. It involves three groups: one takes surveys only, another receives one-on-one coaching to improve patient communication (Intervention 1), and the third attends a communication class. The study seeks primary care doctors at the Mayo Clinic interested in improving their communication skills with patients. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity for doctors to enhance their communication skills, potentially leading to more satisfying interactions with patients.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

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

What prior data suggests that this protocol is safe for clinicians?

Research has shown that coaching and communication classes are generally safe and well-received. Studies indicate that health and wellness coaching can enhance quality of life and help with issues like depression, suggesting that people benefit from coaching with few negative effects. One study found that coaching for doctors led to positive changes in their medical practice, indicating it is safe for participants.

For communication classes, research has shown that learning communication skills can increase patient satisfaction and doctor empathy. This suggests these classes are effective with little risk. Good communication in healthcare is linked to better patient outcomes, further supporting the safety and benefits of these classes.

Overall, both coaching and communication classes appear safe and beneficial for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Provider Coaching for Patient Satisfaction trial because it explores innovative ways to enhance doctor-patient communication. Unlike traditional workshops or handbooks, this trial includes personalized coaching sessions with a trained XTEC coach, who works one-on-one with clinicians over several weeks to improve their interaction skills. Additionally, the trial offers a communication class that can be attended virtually or in person, making it flexible for busy healthcare providers. By tailoring the approach and offering more hands-on learning experiences, researchers hope to find out if these methods can significantly boost patient satisfaction compared to standard communication training.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could improve patient satisfaction?

Research has shown that teaching doctors to communicate better can increase patient satisfaction. One study found that effective doctor-patient communication improves care and patient satisfaction. In this trial, some participants will receive individual coaching from a trained patient experience professional to enhance communication with patients. Coaching has also improved communication between patients and medical specialists.

Other participants will attend a communication class, which has raised patient satisfaction scores and increased doctors' empathy. Effective communication by healthcare providers leads to better health outcomes and happier patients. Both methods in this trial appear promising for increasing satisfaction by focusing on improved communication. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Summer V Allen

Principal Investigator

Mayo Clinic

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for clinicians who interact with patients and are interested in improving patient satisfaction. There's no specific exclusion criteria provided, so it seems open to all healthcare providers.

Inclusion Criteria

Clinicians of Primary Care Mayo Clinic

Exclusion Criteria

Not clinicians of Primary Care Mayo Clinic or Residents within Rochester Primary Care Clinicians from Family Medicine, Community Internal Medicine Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Community Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Clinicians receive patient experience coaching or attend communication classes

Several weeks

3-4 coaching sessions (in-person or virtual), 1 communication class (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in patient satisfaction and clinician satisfaction

2 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Intervention 1

Trial Overview The study is testing whether coaching or communication classes for clinicians can lead to higher patient satisfaction scores and make the clinicians themselves happier with their work.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: No Intervention Active Control 1 Intervention

Surveys only

Group II: Survey and Coaching Active Control 1 Intervention

Individual coaching with a trained patient experience professional (XTEC coach) will occur individually with clinicians 3-4 times over several weeks. The coach will assist participants with improving communication with patients.

Group III: Survey and Communication Class Active Control 1 Intervention

A one-hour communication class will take place during the workday. The class will be offered virtually or in person for a group of clinicians to attend.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Mayo Clinic

Lead Sponsor

Trials

3,427

Recruited

3,221,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A quality improvement program aimed at enhancing medication education for post-acute neurosurgical patients led to increased patient satisfaction scores, highlighting the importance of effective communication about medications and their side effects.

The program utilized strategies like patient handouts, nurse education, and the 'teach back' method, which proved successful in reinforcing understanding and improving patient experiences related to medication management.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using evidence to improve satisfaction with medication side-effects education on a neuro-medical surgical unit. Ahrens, SL., Wirges, AM.[2022]

Citations

1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38306167/

Patient Satisfaction With a Coach-Guided, Technology ... This study explored factors that lead to greater patient satisfaction with webSTAIR, a web-based, coach-guided intervention.

2. cdn.clinicaltrials.gov cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/10/NCT03464110/Prot_000.pdf

Communication Coaching to Improve Patient and Clinician ... care and health outcomes: Effective clinician-patient communication is associated with higher quality of care, patient satisfaction, greater adherence to ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4015179/

Can life coaching improve health outcomes? - PubMed Central This review can only present tendencies for patient outcomes and a preliminary description of an effective life coaching intervention.

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399118305652

Patient coaching in specialist consultations. Which ... Our recent systematic review showed that personal coaching has a positive effect on patient–medical specialist communication [13]. In this review, thirteen ...

5. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/big-data/articles/10.3389/fdata.2022.678061/full

The Influence of Personal Health Data on ... These data potentially add value to the coaching process, for example, by showing more objective and specific information on clients' behaviors.

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399123003555

The impact of health and wellness coaching on patient ... Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) improved short-term self-efficacy, quality of life, and depression for patients with chronic conditions.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5389392/

A Qualitative Study of How Health Coaches Support Patients ... We undertook a qualitative study of how health coaches support patients in making decisions and implementing changes to improve their health.

8. physicianleaders.org physicianleaders.org/articles/doi/10.55834/plj.5472486150

One-on-One Physician Coaching for Clinicians in a Safety ... Physician-to-physician coaching is beneficial in shaping the culture in a practice and addressing and sometimes altering specific behaviors.

9. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/374904035_Patient_Satisfaction_with_a_Coach-Guided_Technology-Based_Mental_Health_Treatment_A_Qualitative_Study_Preprint

(PDF) Patient Satisfaction with a Coach-Guided ... Objective This study explored factors that lead to greater patient satisfaction with webSTAIR, a web-based, coach-guided intervention. Methods We analyzed ...