A systematic scoping review of teaching and evaluating communications in the intensive care unit
Authors:   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Chia Elisha Wan Ying ,   Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Huang Huixin ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Goh Sherill ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Peries Marlyn Tracy ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Lee Charlotte Cheuk Yiu ,   Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Tan Lorraine Hui En ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Khoo Michelle Shi Qing ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Tay Kuang Teck ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Ong Yun Ting ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Lim Wei Qiang ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Tan Xiu Hui ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Tan Yao Hao ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Kow Cheryl Shumin ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Chin Annelissa Mien Chew ,   Medical Library, National University of Singapore Libraries, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Chiam Min ,   Division of Cancer Education, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Zhou Jamie Xuelian ,   Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Lien Centre of Palliative Care, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Krishna Lalit Kumar Radha ,   Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Division of Cancer Education, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore; Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Whilst the importance of effective communications in facilitating good clinical decision-making and ensuring effective patient and family-centred outcomes in Intensive Care Units (ICU)s has been underscored amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, training and assessment of communication skills for healthcare professionals (HCPs) in ICUs remain unstructured Methods: To enhance the transparency and reproducibility, Krishna’s Systematic Evidenced Based Approach (SEBA) guided Systematic Scoping Review (SSR), is employed to scrutinise what is known about teaching and evaluating communication training programmes for HCPs in the ICU setting. SEBA sees use of a structured search strategy involving eight bibliographic databases, the employ of a team of researchers to tabulate and summarise the included articles and two other teams to carry out content and thematic analysis the included articles and comparison of these independent findings and construction of a framework for the discussion that is overseen by the independent expert team. Results: 9532 abstracts were identified, 239 articles were reviewed, and 63 articles were included and analysed. Four similar themes and categories were identified. These were strategies employed to teach communication, factors affecting communication training, strategies employed to evaluate communication and outcomes of communication training. Conclusion: This SEBA guided SSR suggests that ICU communications training must involve a structured, multimodal approach to training. This must be accompanied by robust methods of assessment and personalised timely feedback and support for the trainees. Such an approach will equip HCPs with greater confidence and prepare them for a variety of settings, including that of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.