Remote Education Strategies Training Oncology Residents for End-of-Life Discussions

NCT05810987 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 14948
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 23
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Difficult conversations are common in oncology practice and patient-centered communication is essential to care for individuals with cancer. Within oncology training programs, communication training is mostly unstructured observation and feedback in the clinic and many learners receive inadequate training. Currently, educational resources are limited, and residents have indicated a desire for more education on end-of-life communication skills. A formal communication curriculum could fill a gap and help to standardize teaching and evaluation. The overall goal of this study is to establish an effective communication skills curriculum for oncology residents that can be delivered remotely and that addresses difficult conversations with cancer patients. Through this preliminary study, we will explore the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial comparing different training experiences to understand how best to help oncology residents develop strong end-of-life communication skills.

Conditions

Oncology

Keywords

Communication, Serious Illness, Education, Palliative Care

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• COM-ON (Communication in Oncology) Checklist

  Validated rating scale assessing general and specific communication skills in oncology. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 0 = ''Skill not demonstrated at all'' to 5 = ''Skill fully demonstrated'', with higher scores denoting higher quality communication.

  3 months

• QQPPI (Questionnaire on the Quality of Physician-Patient Interaction)

  Validated patient-facing rating scale of for quality of physician communication. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = ''I do not agree'' to 5 = ''I fully agree'', with higher scores denoting higher quality communication.

  3 months

• Assessment rubric for 'entrustable professional activities' (EPAs)

  Medical interaction analysis rating scale as defined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = ''I do not agree'' to 5 = ''I fully agree'', with higher scores denoting higher quality communication.

  3 months

• Global rating scale

  Overall rating scale of quality of physician communication. Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = ''I do not agree'' to 5 = ''I fully agree'', with higher scores denoting higher quality communication.

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS)

  3 months

• RESTORED Questionnaire

  Immediately after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

ELMs and virtual SP encounters

EXPERIMENTAL

A virtual communication curriculum featuring electronic learning modules (ELMs) and skills sessions with standardized patients (SPs) along with coaching feedback.

Other: RESTORE; Behavioral: Medical Interaction and Coaching

ELMs alone

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

A virtual communication curriculum featuring electronic learning modules (ELMs) only.

Other: RESTORE

Interventions

RESTORE OTHER

Virtual educational curriculum organized into the following modules: Module Specific Communication Strategies 1. Introduction 2. Preparing for and introducing a conversation \[Consider personal bias /Building rapport /Ask permission\] 3. Assessing understanding \[Avoid correcting /Open ended questions\] 4. Giving information \[Give a warning shot /Using silence /Wish/worry/wonder\] 5. Explore goals \[Reflective listening /Naming, validating emotion 6. Summarizing and recommending a plan \[Values-based recommendation /Aligning with goals /REMAP (Reframe, Expect emotion, Map goals, Align, Propose plan)\]

ELMs alone; ELMs and virtual SP encounters

Medical Interaction and Coaching BEHAVIORAL

Skills sessions with standardized patients (SPs) along with coaching feedback.

ELMs and virtual SP encounters

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Medical and radiation oncology residents and fellows at McMaster University, and medical oncology residents at the Universities of Ottawa and Toronto.
• Enrollment in a participating training program, ability to participate in study-related activities in English, access to internet and a video-enabled computer (either personal or institutional) to support study-related activities

You may not qualify if:

• Not enrolled in a participating training program

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McMaster University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Juravinski Cancer Centre - Hamilton Health Sciences

Hamilton, Ontario, L8V 5C2, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Communication

Interventions

Restore polishing paste

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Oren Levine, MD

  McMaster University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Parallel Assignment

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 28, 2023
• First Posted: April 13, 2023
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2024
• Study Completion: August 30, 2024
• Last Updated: January 15, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Locations

CA (1)