Communication Skills Training and Competency Assessment for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellows

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Study to determine if pulmonary/critical care fellows will demonstrate increased competency in the behavioral skills necessary to facilitate family meetings focused on discussions of goals of care in the ICU from pre- to post-communication skills training.

Detailed Description
-----------------
The investigators hypothesize that pulmonary/critical care fellows will demonstrate increased competency in the behavioral skills necessary to facilitate family meetings focused on discussions of goals of care in the ICU from pre- to post-communication skills training.

Official Title
-----------------
Communication Skills Training and Competency Assessment for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellows

Conditions
-----------------
Communication

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: First year program
* Other: Control comparison


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: First- and second-year pulmonary/critical care fellows

Ages Eligible for Study
-----------------
Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 89 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Other: First year fellow<br> | Behavioral: First year program<br>* Information on group that underwent new educational program<br>|
| Other: Second Year Fellow<br> | Other: Control comparison<br>* Information from group that did not undergo new first year program<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subject self evaluation of training and skill | Determine level of prior training in communication skills and assess trainee attitudes about goals of care communication training | Measured at basline (Month 0) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self versus trainer comparison assessment | Compare pulmonary/critical care fellows' self-report of confidence and competence in performing goals of care discussions during family meetings with faculty observed competence in performance of this skill. | Measured at basline (Month 0), during intervention and End of Study (Month 12) | 
| Evaluation of Effectiveness of intervention | Evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral skills checklist as a formative feedback tool to improve the ability of pulmonary/critical care fellows to utilize the five key elements of patient-centered communication | Measured at End of Study (Month 12) | 
| Evaluate communication skills curriculum | Determine the effect of the implementation of a communication skills curriculum for pulmonary/critical care fellows on the physician communication domain of family satisfaction survey scores in the ICU. | Measured at End of Study (Month 12) | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
Communication skills