Supervision of Clinicians in Oncology by Psycho-oncologists : Evaluation

NCT07268378 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 2 other identifiers: SCOPEKLS-6188-08-2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 62
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Communication in the oncology setting involves cognitive as well as emotional challenges for both clinicians and patients, and interactional dimensions that emerge in their encounter. Supervision of oncology/haematology clinicians by psycho-oncologists is one of the most frequently used tools, which aims to enhance their communicative and relational competences, and at the same time to support them in their daily clinical work. However, little is known regarding its impact and how the supervisory process acts upon clinicians. This study thus aims to evaluate the efficacy of four 1-hour supervision sessions following a clinician-centred format, which allows supervisors to rapidly access supervisees' own difficulties in the encounter with certain patients. In addition, the supervisory process will be examined qualitatively by analysing in-depth audio-taped supervision sessions. The focus of analysis will be "what works" and "what does not". If beneficial effects are found, clinician-centred supervision -- thanks to its focused and time saving format -- could be realistically implemented for nurses and physicians working in the oncology and haematology settings. Effects are expected on clinicians' capacity to reflect on challenging encounters with patients, on potential negative feelings towards patients, and on clinicians' professional well-being. The clinician-centred supervision format could be easily taught to psycho-oncologists who wish to start supervising haematology and oncology clinicians. Clinicians who are less preoccupied with themselves, or with negative feelings towards their patients, have more supportive relationships with them, which is of utmost importance in critical settings such as oncology and haematology.

Conditions

Healthy Participants

Keywords

supervision; clinician; oncology; hematology; formative function; restorative function; normative function; reflexivity; feelings towards patients; burnout

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Supervisee's reflexivity (qualitative classification)

  Reflexivity will be assessed with the reflexivity indicator, a 4-level framework for classifying clinicians' narratives identified in the 5-day clinical situation recordings. This indicator has been developped in a previous study (in preparation) with the following level: * Level 0 - Describing: clinicians report medical and basic psychosocial facts, like a referral note. * Level 1 - Noticing: they mention interactions and resonate with patients' emotions but without deeper links. * Level 2 - Recognizing: they reflect on their interaction style, noting institutional/professional influences, and ask "what if I could do this consultation again?" to improve future practice. * Level 3 - Making sense: they analyze what happened, what could have been done differently, and what to do next time. Here, clinicians derive general principles, extending insights beyond the single case and shifting perspective.

  Baseline (T0) and 2 months post-baseline (i.e., T1: after the 2 months of supervision for the SPV group or 2 months waiting period for the CTRL group)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Feeling towards patients (questionnaire)

  From supervision 1 to 4 during the 2-month intervention period (only for SPV group)

• Burnout (questionnaire)

  Baseline (T0), 2 months post-baseline (T1), 3 months follow-up (FU3) and 6 months follow-up (FU6)

• Supervision assessment (questionnaire)

  From supervision 1 to 4 during the 2-month intervention period (only for SPV group)

Study Arms (2)

Supervision group (SPV)

EXPERIMENTAL

As baseline assessments (T0), participants will complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and 5-day clinical situation recordings (measuring supervisee's reflexivity) in which they describe a clinical situation that has remained in their mind during the day. Each participant will then take part in four 60 min clinician-centred supervision sessions (bi-monthly supervisions). During each supervision, (i) clinicians' feelings toward the patients presented will be measured with the Feeling Word Checklist (FWC-58) at the beginning and end of each session, and (ii) specific aspect and the overall quality of the supervision wil be assessed with a 4-item ad-hoc questionnaire for both supervisee and the supervisor. Assessments performed at T0 will be repeated after the 2-month intervention (T1). Finally, the MBI will be administered at follow-up assessments 3 months (FU3) and 6 months (FU6) after T1.

Other: Supervision session

Waiting-control group (CTRL)

NO INTERVENTION

As baseline assessments (T0), participants will complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and 5-day clinical situation recordings (measuring supervisee's reflexivity). The clinical situation recordings consist of describing a clinical situation that has remained in the clinician's mind during the day. They will then not receive supervisions during the 2-month waiting period. Assessments will be repeated after the 2-month waiting period (T1: MBI and 5-day clinical situation recordings) and follow-up evaluations with the MBI will take place at 3 months (FU3) and 6 months (FU6). After the trial period (i.e., after FU6), participants in this arm will be offered the opportunity to reveice the intervention.

Interventions

Supervision session OTHER

In the first and thrid sessions, supervisees will comprehensively describe a clinical situation with a patient, which strongly affected them in a very negative way (e.g., feelings of rejection, anxiety, anger), or even lead to words (e.g., outbursts, impoliteness, cynicism) and actions (e.g., avoidance of the patient, forgetting appointments, deviation from good medical practice). In the second and fourth sessions, the same proceeding takes place, with the exception that participants are invited to present a clinical encounter with a patient, which strongly affected them in a very positive way (e.g., feelings of intense closeness, sympathy, pronounced mourning after the patient's death), or even lead to words (e.g., self-disclosure, discussing private information, compliments) and actions (e.g., special favours, difficulties to end treatment, deviation from good medical practice).

Supervision group (SPV)

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Physician or nurse in oncology or hematology
• Specialized in medical oncology or hematology

You may not qualify if:

• Participation to individual supervision by psycho-oncologists as part of the following training courses: CAS in psycho-oncology and course "Mieux Commu iquer"
• Participated in a study involving supervision by psycho-oncologists

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois: lead
• Heidelberg University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Psychiatrie de liaison

Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, 1011, Switzerland

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Burnout, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Head of Psychiatric Liaison Service

Model Details: Participants will be randomized in an intervention (Supervision group: SPV) group with supervision sessions and a waiting-control (CTRL) group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 2, 2025
• First Posted: December 5, 2025
• Study Start: August 11, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2026
• Last Updated: December 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CH (1)