Clinician-Patient Communication in Lung Cancer Care

NCT02732834 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 16-001
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 294
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 7

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to better understand communication between patients with lung cancer and their clinicians. The investigators are also interested in patient's perceptions of the quality of communication with his/her clinician and how these perceptions may impact patient outcomes. The clinician participating in this study and has given us permission to approach his/her eligible patients for study participation.

Conditions

Lung Cancer

Keywords

Clinician-Patient Communication; 16-001

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Part 1: Systematic coding of clinical encounters and the perceived stigma within the clinical consultation

  interview along with patient-reported data from the post-consultation questionnaire will be used.

  1 year

• Part 1: All variables (stigma, satisfaction with communication, psychological distress)

  will be measured via post-consultation questionnaires

  1 year

• Part 2: We will pilot test the effectiveness of the empathic communication skills training module

  for clinicians: physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, fellows, residents, clinical nurses, and clinical nurse specialists by using the communication skills training module

  1 year

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• # of patients referred to MSK's Tobacco Treatment Program (TTP)

  1 year

Study Arms (4)

Part 1: Lung patients

Following informed consent, the patient will complete the patient questionnaire, either electronically, by phone, or on paper. Patients who prefer to complete the survey electronically will be emailed a link to access to a secure electronic (web-based) version of the study assessment which they will have access to from any computer. We will include an introductory email with the survey link. Will audio-record actual patient-physician clinical consultations with lung cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). Completing the survey will take about 15 minutes. Answer a few open-ended questions about the consultation with the doctor. We will audio record your answers to these questions. This will take about 15 minutes.

Behavioral: Questionnaire; Behavioral: Patient Interview; Behavioral: Audio recordings of clinical consultations

Part 1: Thoracic physicians and clinicians

Will have 5 visits/consultations with their patients audio recorded.

Behavioral: Audio recordings of clinical consultations

Part 2: Lung patients

Following informed consent, the patient will complete the patient questionnaire, either electronically, by phone, or on paper. Patients who prefer to complete the survey electronically will be emailed a link to access to a secure electronic (web-based) version of the study assessment which they will have access to from any computer. Completing the survey will take about 15 minutes.

Behavioral: Questionnaire

Part 2: Thoracic and pulmonary clinicians

Following informed consent, clinicians will be scheduled to participate in a 2 hour training on empathic communication with lung cancer patients. Surveys will be collected from 6 patients (3 pre-training, 3 post-training). Clinicians will complete one standardized patient assessment before training (pre-SPA) and one assessment after training (post-SPA). These are 12-minute video-recorded clinic consultations with standardized patients (trained actors).

Behavioral: 2-hour empathic communication skills training; Behavioral: Standardized Patient Assessments; Behavioral: Training evaluation; Behavioral: Patient recruitment

Interventions

Audio recordings of clinical consultations BEHAVIORAL

Part 1: Lung patients; Part 1: Thoracic physicians and clinicians

Questionnaire BEHAVIORAL

patients will fill out a questionnaire about their perceived stigma, satisfaction with communication, and psychological distress.

Part 1: Lung patients

2-hour empathic communication skills training BEHAVIORAL

2-hour empathic communication skills training

Part 2: Thoracic and pulmonary clinicians

Standardized Patient Assessments BEHAVIORAL

pre-training SPA, post-training SPA

Part 2: Thoracic and pulmonary clinicians

Training evaluation BEHAVIORAL

Clinicians will complete an evaluation assessing the empathic communication training module.

Part 2: Thoracic and pulmonary clinicians

Patient recruitment BEHAVIORAL

6 of the clinician's patients (3 pre-training, 3 post-training) will be recruited to complete brief surveys assessing clinician communication

Part 2: Thoracic and pulmonary clinicians

Patient Interview BEHAVIORAL

Then they will participate in a brief in-person interview about their perceived stigma during the clinical consultation

Part 1: Lung patients

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

MSK thoracic clinic, pulmonary clinic

You may qualify if:

• Patients with confirmed lung cancer diagnosis or mass suspicious of lung cancer as per clinician report and/or EMR
• Lung cancer diagnosis or suspicious mass as per clinician report/EMR within 0-6 months of consent or within no more than three visits to participating clinician
• Participating clinician approves his/her patient's participation in this study per clinician report.
• Former (at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime and quit more than 30 days prior to enrollment) or current smoker (lifetime smoker who reports cigarette smoking within the past 30 days) as per self report or EMR;
• English fluency (determined through EMR or clinician report), as we do not have the resources to translate the consultations from other languages or the surveys to other languages;
• Patients must be 18 years old or older
• An MSK attending physician (radiologists, medical oncologists, and surgeons), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA), Fellow, Resident or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Clinical Nurse (RN) who is a member of the Thoracic Disease Management Team or Pulmonary Service currently treating thoracic patients at MSK as per self report
• Clinical has individual clinic consultations to discuss adult health assessment and/or smoking history with the target patient population: English-speaking, at least 18 years of age, has a suspicious lung mass or confirmed diagnosis, is a former/current smoker, has had no more than 3 visits with clinician or had diagnosis in past 6 months as per self-report.

You may not qualify if:

• N/A

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Florida: collaborator
• University of Arizona: collaborator
• Weill Medical College of Cornell University: collaborator
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: lead
• Hamad Medical Corporation: collaborator

Study Sites (7)

Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Consent and follow-up only)

Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Consent and follow-up only)

Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Consent and follow-up only)

Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack (Consent and follow-up only)

Commack, New York, 11725, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Consent and follow-up only)

Harrison, New York, 10604, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, New York, 10065, United States

Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Consent and Follow-Up only)

Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States

Location

Related Links

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Lung Neoplasms

Interventions

Surveys and Questionnaires; Patient Selection

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Respiratory Tract Neoplasms; Thoracic Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Research Design; Methods; Patient Care Management; Health Services Administration

Study Officials

• Jamie Ostroff, PhD

  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2016
• First Posted: April 11, 2016
• Study Start: January 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Last Updated: February 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Locations

US (7)