Patient Communication Training Intervention

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to test a class for Queens Cancer Center patients. We want to find out if patients think this program is helpful.

Detailed Description
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It is well accepted that effective physician-patient communication is associated with important outcomes. Communication training interventions for oncologists and other clinicians has been shown to be effective in changing behavior and improving outcomes. Less attention has been given to improving cancer patients' communication with their physicians. Most of the studies in this area have been focused on activating patients through training them to ask questions. Although question asking is a vitally important patient communication skill, other patient communication skills should also be encouraged for patients. In the primary care setting, studies on patient communication training have focused on three additional communication skills to asking questions: presenting information, checking understanding, and expressing concerns. The goal of this study is to pilot test a patient communication workshop that builds on the work done in the primary care setting, offering an intervention that focuses on a broad range of skills. The proposal aims to improve communication skills in an underserved population, which may be a factor contributing to minority health disparities.

Official Title
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A Feasibility Study of a Patient Communication Training Intervention

Conditions
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Cancer

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Questionnaires and training workshop


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Patients seeing a physician at Queens Cancer Center (not family members or partners) Able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Less than 18 years of age (as per self-report) Cognitive or physical impairment rendering patients incapable of providing informed consent to participate in the study. As the workshop will be given in English and the measures are all written in English, subjects who are not fluent in English will be excluded.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| communication training workshop<br>The patient intervention is a 1 hour communication workshop entitled: Getting the Most out of your Doctor's Visit. The workshops will be offered to both patients and family members, but data will be collected only for patients. The workshops will be held on location at Queens Cancer Center. | Behavioral: Questionnaires and training workshop<br>* We will recruit a minimum of 1 and maximum of 12 patients for each workshop. The workshop will follow the approximate time table below: 10 minutes: Sign-in, welcome and introductions 25 minutes: Didactic session, videos and discussion 10 minutes: Group discussion 15 minutes: Closing plenary and final assessment<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| To determine the feasibility of a patient communication training intervention. |  | 2 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| To attain preliminary data on the acceptability of the intervention through patient ratings of effectiveness and usefulness of the intervention. |  | 2 years | 
| To attain preliminary data on the effect of a patient communication training intervention on patients' self-reported communication behaviors. |  | 2 years | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Training Workshop, Communication, Questionnaires, Multiple Diseases