Breaking Bad News: Impact of a Continuing Medical Education Workshop

Abstract

I Objective:To evaluate the impact of an interactive continuing medical education workshop designed to help physicians in breaking bad news to their patients. Methodology: Analysis of post-workshop questionnaires from 539 physicians assessing the retention of the key concepts and the perception of the potential impact of the workshop on their practice immediately after the workshop and six months later. Results: The most significant concepts retained by the respondents are: the need to take into consideration the whole patient (42.7% post-workshop and 45.6% of follow-up responses), the need to be prepared for the consultation (11.6% and 15%), the importance of better gUiding the interview (18.8% and 13.6%), and the value of taking more time during the consultation (5.8% and 8.3%). Analysis of paired responses on the post-workshop and the follow-up questionnaires shows that 35% of the concepts retained are identical. Conclusion:The majority of physicians retained the key concepts, both immediately following the workshop and in the longer term. Resume I Objectif: Evaluer I'impact d'un atelier de travail interactif dispense dans Ie cadre de formation rnedlcale continue pour aider les medeclns it annoncer de mauvaises nouvelles it leurs patients. Methodologie : Analyser les questionnaires remplis par 539 medecins, lmmediatement apres I'atelier et six mois plus tard afin d'avaluer Ie degre de memorisation des concepts-olea et leur perception de I'impact de cet atelier sur leur pratique. Resultats: Les concepts les plus significatifs retenus par les participants apres I'atelier et six mois plus tard sont les suivants : la necesslte de considerer Ie patient dans sa totallte (42.7 % et 45.6 %), la necessite de se preparer avant la consultation (11.6 % et 15 %), I'importance de mieux diriger I'interview (18.8 % et 13.6 %) et I'avantage de prendre plus de temps lors de la consultation. Lorsqu'on accouple les reponses des deux questionnaires I'analyse demontre que 35 % des concepts retenus demeurent les memes. Conclusion: La majortte des rnedeclns ont retenu les concepts-cles tant it la suite de I'atelier que six mois plus tard.

Communication skills training in cancer care: where are we and where are we going?

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