Clinical trial NCT03464110: Communication Coaching to Improve Patient and Clinician Satisfaction in Cardiology Encounters
Official title: Communication Coaching to Improve Patient and Clinician Satisfaction in Cardiology Encounters
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Improved Communication Between Clinician and Patient
Lead sponsor: Duke University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-03-13
Enrollment: 280
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Interventional: To determine the effect of a clinician communication coaching intervention versus control on an objective measure of the quality of communication (primary outcome) and patients' perceptions of the quality of patient-centered care (secondary outcome), both overall and within Black and White patients.
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a clinician communication coaching intervention versus control on an objective measure of the quality of communication (primary outcome) and patients' perceptions of the quality of patient-centered care (secondary outcome), both overall and within Black and White patients.

Detailed description: The investigators propose a two-arm cluster randomized controlled design, in which the unit of randomization is the clinician. Up to fifty cardiology clinicians will be randomly assigned to either the coaching intervention or to a control condition. The investigators will recruit up to 50 clinicians to ensure that we have at least 40 clinicians with complete pre- and post-intervention measures. Although the unit of randomization is the clinician, the unit of evaluation is the patient: 10 patients per clinician who get cardiology care from the enrolled clinicians will consent to audio-recording of their encounters and to completing the surveys. Clinicians randomized to the intervention will obtain verbal consent from additional patients to audio-record the encounter for coaching. The intervention will be delivered in the clinic or via video-conference (Skype or Facetime), providing individual coaching and professional feedback on the communication behaviors encounters. The investigators will also measure Press Ganey scores by clinician pre- and post-intervention.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must be 18 years or older
* Must be able to read
* Must speak English
* Capable of providing informed consent
* Must be receiving continuity care from and enrolled clinician

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently hospitalized
* Awaiting heart transplant

Primary outcomes:
measure: Cardiologist Behavior as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment.
timeFrame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
measure: Cardiologist Behavior as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment.
timeFrame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
measure: Ratio of Empathic Responses to Empathic Opportunities
timeFrame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Global Ratings of Communication as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment
timeFrame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Durham
country: United States
facility: Duke University Medical Center
state: North Carolina
city: Durham
country: United States
facility: Duke University Medical Center - Cancer Prevention, Detection and Control
state: North Carolina
Study officials:
affiliation: Duke University
name: Kathryn Pollak, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: