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Communicating Actively, Responding Empathically (CARE): Perceptions of Cancer Health Professionals Attending Communication Training Workshops

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Abstract

Communication skills training is standardly offered to health professionals working in cancer; however, there is no consensus on the precise style or duration of training, which is most effective. This study aimed to examine the experiences of health professionals who had participated in either a 1-day communication skills training workshop focusing on experiential learning or a 2-h workshop in which participants discussed different communication styles demonstrated on purpose-designed videotapes. Twenty health professionals comprising ten from each workshop type participated in a semi-structured interview with an interpretative descriptive design. Participant characteristics were summarised using descriptive statistics. Thematic analysis was conducted. Consistent themes across both groups were the importance of good communication and perceived barriers. All participants strongly endorsed the value of their respective training experience and considered this was due in part to the skill of facilitators and the creation of a supportive learning environment. Role plays were reported to be helpful in promoting skill development, and some participants in the 2-h workshop indicated that they would have liked the opportunity to practice new skills through role play, which was not possible in the short workshop. Participants self-reported increased confidence following both workshops and perceived improvements in delivery of person-centred care. Both the 1-day and the 2-h communication workshops were a positive experience for the groups who attended. The 1-day communication workshop offered an opportunity for experiential learning, which the 2-h group felt would have been worthwhile; however, both groups found value in attending the workshops.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the health professionals who participated in the workshops and interviews. Special thanks to the Director of the Occupational Therapy Department and Cancer Services Management team at Princess Alexandra Hospital Brisbane for their support with this research and implementing communication skills training for all staff in Cancer Services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occupational Therapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

    Jodie Nixon & Lyndal Gray

  2. School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Jodie Nixon

  3. Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4027, Australia

    Jane Turner

  4. Department of Palliative Care, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Edith Street, Waratah, 2299, Australia

    Jessica Scaife

Authors
  1. Jodie Nixon
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  2. Jane Turner
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  3. Lyndal Gray
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  4. Jessica Scaife
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Contributions

JN, JT, LG, and JS designed the study. JN, LG, and JS recruited. LG and JS conducted training. JN conducted interviews. JN and JT analysed interviews. JN and JT wrote the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jodie Nixon.

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Ethics Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Ethical clearance was obtained through the Metro South Hospital and Health Services HREC (MSHHS HREC15/QPAH/686).

Consent to Participate

All participants provided written consent to participate in the study.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Can you please comment on your experience of the training for the CARE study? In particular, I would like to hear what parts worked well for you, and what parts were challenging, or did not work so well for you.

  1. 1.

    Can you tell me if you feel that participation in the CARE study has had any impact on your clinical work?

  2. 2.

    Are you able to describe any impact of participation in the CARE study workshop more personally, for example, in your attitudes towards work or patients

  3. 3.

    How has participation in the CARE skills workshop affected your confidence in communicating with patients?

  4. 4.

    What do you perceive would be the barriers to implementing CARE workshop skills into your day-to-day clinical practice?

  5. 5.

    What do you perceive would make it possible for you to implement CARE workshop skills into your day-to-day clinical practice?

  6. 6.

    Can you tell me what your thoughts are on the effectiveness of the role play/videos (please circle the one the participant had in the workshop), during the workshop? Do you feel this contributed to you changing practice?

  7. 7.

    Do you have any other comments you would like to make about your involvement in the CARE study?

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Nixon, J., Turner, J., Gray, L. et al. Communicating Actively, Responding Empathically (CARE): Perceptions of Cancer Health Professionals Attending Communication Training Workshops. J Canc Educ 37, 288–295 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01809-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01809-y

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