Effects of Communication Training for Mental Health Occupational Therapy Interns

NCT07333781 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 202200268B0
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 307
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to develop and test a new communication skills training program for occupational therapy (OT) interns in mental health practice, called the Intervention Protocol for Communication Skills of Occupational Therapy Interns (iCOT). The main questions are: Does iCOT improve interns' communication skills in the short term? The study has two parts. First, researchers will develop the iCOT program using expert input, feedback from recent graduates, and feasibility testing with interns, supervisors, and patients. Second, the study will test iCOT using a single-blind design. Expert raters, who do not know which group each intern belongs to, will evaluate communication skills using the Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF). The intervention group will receive iCOT training. The comparison group will use data from a previous study of interns, supervisors, and patients. Communication skills will be rated by experts (primary outcome) and by supervisors, patients, and interns (secondary outcomes).

Conditions

Communication

Keywords

communication skills; communication skills training; occupational therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Expert-rated communication skills performance

  Blinded expert raters evaluate interns' communication skills using the Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF).

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• clinical supervisor-rated communication skills performance

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

• Patient-rated communication skills performance

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

• Intern self-rated communication skills performance

  Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

Study Arms (2)

iCOT Communication Training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive the iCOT (Intervention Protocol for Communication Skills of Occupational Therapy Interns) communication skills training program. The program includes structured instructional content based on therapist-patient communication models, teaching strategies designed for OT interns, and a training sequence integrated into internship schedules. Training is delivered during the internship period.

Behavioral: iCOT

Active Control (Historical Data)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This arm uses historical data from a previous cohort of occupational therapy interns, clinical supervisors, and patients. The cohort includes 44 interns, 9 supervisors, and 97 patients who completed standard internship training without the iCOT program. Their communication performance, measured with the Gap-Kalamazoo Communication Skills Assessment Form (GKCSAF), serves as the comparison group.

Behavioral: Active Control

Interventions

iCOT BEHAVIORAL

The intervention group receives the iCOT program, which includes: 1. Online training through Moodle with instructional videos, expert demonstrations, and scenario-based quizzes requiring full completion; and 2. Multi-source feedback from patients, clinical supervisors, and experts using structured communication assessment tools. The program aims to improve communication skills during mental health clinical practice.

Also known as: An intervention protocol for communication skills of occupational therapy interns in in the field of mental health clinical practice

iCOT Communication Training

Active Control BEHAVIORAL

The active control group receives the standard communication training used in routine internship education. Interns complete three recorded patient interviews during the internship, followed by supervisor feedback using the GKCSAF. The control group does not receive the iCOT online modules, expert demonstrations, scenario-based training, or patient feedback. Total training time is approximately 2.5 hours shorter than the intervention group.

Also known as: Standard Communication Training

Active Control (Historical Data)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may not qualify if:

• Patients:
• Diagnosed with any DSM-5 mental disorder
• Age 20 years or older
• Able to provide informed consent
• Adequate verbal communication ability
• Patients: severe cognitive impairment (e.g., aphasia or inability to follow three-step commands).
• Interns and supervisors: none.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chang Gung Memorial Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Chang Gung Medical Hospital

Kaohsiung City, Niaosong Dist, 833401, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Communication

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Single-blind. Expert raters evaluating communication skills are blinded to group assignment.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Intervention group receives the iCOT program; comparison group uses historical active control data.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 24, 2025
• First Posted: January 12, 2026
• Study Start: July 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2023
• Study Completion: September 30, 2024
• Last Updated: January 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2022-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)