Abstract
Effective communication between healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients is important for HCP well-being, patient engagement, and health outcomes. Yet, HCPs do not receive adequate communication skills training and report feeling unprepared for difficult conversations. A needs assessment of 64 cancer HCP trainees in Toronto, Canada, found that a majority of trainees rated themselves with low competency in communication skills to support patients through difficult conversations, while nearly all rated these skills as important to their practice. A blended multiprofessional communications program was developed including online theoretical learning and reflective practice in addition to in-person simulation with standardised patient actors. Since communication skills mastery is highly unlikely to occur at the termination of a single training program, the goal of the program was to stimulate participants’ motivational beliefs about difficult conversations communication skills in order to deepen their commitment to learning and mastery. The motivational beliefs assessed included self-efficacy (self-perceived competence), intent to use techniques learned, and confidence in task mastery. After completing the course, participants’ self-perceived competence in dealing with difficult conversations significantly increased by an average of 25 points (p < 0.001) on a rating scale of 1–100 (n = 40). Participants’ intent to use techniques did not change significantly and remained high with an overall average of 89 points. After the course, participants rated their confidence in mastering techniques learned at an average score of 71 points. Multiprofessional, simulation-based training is an effective way to improve HCP trainees’ motivational beliefs around having difficult conversations.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Ahmad Al-Awamer, Michal Basch, Tracie Burke, Abel Cheng, Jaimie Coleman, Celina Dara, Daniela Fierini, Jordan Holmes, Elizabeth Hanna, Kerry Knickle, Sharon Konyen, Wilson Lam, Nicole Liscio, Luanne MacKenzie, Phyllis Mancini, Barbara-Ann Millar, Mohammad Salhia, Sarah Storer, Kieng Tan, and Kerri Weir for their contributions to the program.
Funding
This work was partially funded by a Medical Humanities Education Matching Funding Grant awarded to M. Giuliani, C. Gillan, and co-authors.
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Papadakos, C.(., Stringer, T., Papadakos, J. et al. Effectiveness of a Multiprofessional, Online and Simulation-Based Difficult Conversations Training Program on Self-Perceived Competence of Oncology Healthcare Provider Trainees. J Canc Educ 36, 1030–1038 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01729-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01729-x
Keywords
- Communication training
- Difficult conversations
- Breaking bad news
- Empathy
- Compassion
- Therapeutic relationship
- SPIKES protocol
- Multiprofessional
- Interprofessional
- Simulation
- Health literacy
- Plain language
- Incident disclosure
- Resilience
- Health care trainees
- Health care providers
- Patient-centred care
- Standardised patient actors
- Self-regulated learning
- Motivational beliefs