Communication in oncology: now we train - but how well?

Stiefel, F.; Bourquin, Céline

doi:10.1093/annonc/mdw229

Cited by 37 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Finally, outcome measures are an important problem of current CST programmes, because they are heterogeneous and often unconnected to the pedagogical approach and training programme objectives and questionable with regard to clinical relevance (Barth & Lannen, 2011;Kissane et al, 2012;Salmon & Young, 2011;Stiefel & Bourquin, 2016). This calls for closer collaboration between CST programme providers, if they wish to increase the relevance of evaluations and respond to the need for evidence that CST programmes positively impact patient outcomes, which is the ultimate goal of these efforts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core components of Communication Skills Training in oncology: A synthesis of the literature contrasted with consensual recommendations

2018

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This systematic review synthesises the literature on Communication Skills Training (CST) programmes for oncology professionals to identify their core components and compare them with the recommendations formulated in a position paper based on a European expert consensus meeting. A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (OVID and PUBMED), CINAHL, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. The analytic approach relied on an a priori framework based on the position paper's recommendations, generating several themes. Forty-nine articles were included. The CST programmes reported between 2010 and 2016 were heterogeneous. Some recommendations, especially those regarding content and pedagogic tools, were followed by most providers, while others, such as setting, objectives and participants, were not. This synthesis raises questions on how CST programmes are conceived and how they could or should be conceived in future. While medicine, especially clinical communication, is socially and culturally embedded, some recommendations regarding CST programmes seem to be universally valuable, contributing to ensure quality and enhanced credibility, and thus endorsement and sustained implementation, of CST programmes in the oncology setting.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core components of Communication Skills Training in oncology: A synthesis of the literature contrasted with consensual recommendations

2018

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“…In general, it is a problem that most CST programs have been based on expert opinions, without consultation with future participants or assessing their training needs. This exclusion of oncology clinicians hampers the full potential of these programmes with respect of being learner centred and allowing clinicians experiences and resources to be integrated [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It might also be possible that previous CST programmes did not pay enough attention to the needs of future or potential participants, but were mostly designed and developed on the basis of scientific evidence regarding duration and content of such training programmes [7,25]. This assumption is corroborated by 'lack of time' being 1 of the most frequently mentioned barriers to participation in CST.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication Skills Trainings: Subjective Appraisal of Physicians from Five Cancer Centres in North Rhine, Germany

et al. 2017

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Background: Physician-patient communication is an essential component of high-quality health care provision for cancer patients. To date, communication skills training programmes have not been systematically implemented in oncology and have low physician participation rates. Methods: As a part of a needs assessment a written questionnaire was used to explore needs and preferences (structural conditions and content) regarding communication skills training programmes for physicians working in oncology settings in 5 university hospitals in North Rhine, Germany. Results: 207 physicians took part in the survey. Analyses revealed positive attitudes and high willingness to attend such training programmes, with a preference for short trainings that are compatible with clinical practice. Suggested topics included breaking bad news, conversations about death and dying and dealing with difficult emotions. Conclusion: Communication skills training approaches should not only pay attention to evidence regarding their efficacy, but also take into consideration physicians' needs and preferences. Further research is required on the subject of barriers to participation in such training programmes.

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“…Based on the observation that the communication behaviour of oncology clinicians is modified by training, communication skills training (CST) programmes were developed and widely implemented (Bourquin et al, ). Meanwhile, several aspects of CST have been criticised, such as the conception of communication as a skill, the focus on technical mastery, the neglect of generic, relational and contextual elements of clinician‐patient communication and the risk of standardisation of communication behaviour (Salander, ; Salmon & Young, ; Stiefel & Bourquin, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Moving toward the next generation of communication training in oncology: The relevance of findings from qualitative research

Stiefel

Bourquin

2019

Eur J Cancer Care

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Objective The critics and recommendations for communication training in oncology call for new ideas, which may contribute to designing the next generation of training. The aim of this work was to search the literature on communication in oncology for empirically grounded observations that might be useful for the development of training approaches. Methods The approach consists of identifying findings that might serve as cues for the design of the next generation of training. The literature search strategy allowed the inclusion of 68 articles. Results Findings of the articles showed that multiple factors shape clinical communication: the functions and effects of information provision, the relational and interactional aspects of communication, its patient‐ and context‐related dimensions, and the intrapsychic and context‐related barriers hampering the patient encounter that clinicians are facing. Conclusion A way to reach all oncologists and to provide training centred on the singular needs of participants is a shift in the focus of training from communication tasks or communication‐related situations to the clinician. Practice implications Training should focus on the competencies and qualities to be developed by clinicians, such as being flexible, able to adapt to the singular patient, sensitive to interactional aspects of communication, which influence the clinical encounter.

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Communication in oncology: now we train - but how well?

Cited by 37 publications

References 29 publications

Core components of Communication Skills Training in oncology: A synthesis of the literature contrasted with consensual recommendations

Core components of Communication Skills Training in oncology: A synthesis of the literature contrasted with consensual recommendations

Communication Skills Trainings: Subjective Appraisal of Physicians from Five Cancer Centres in North Rhine, Germany

Moving toward the next generation of communication training in oncology: The relevance of findings from qualitative research

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