- Title
- Increasing oncologists' skills in eliciting and responding to emotional cues: evaluation of a communication skills training program
- Creator
- Butow, Phyllis; Cockburn, Jill; Girgis, Afaf; Bowman, Deborah; Schofield, Penelope; D'Este, Catherine; Stojanovski, Elizabeth; Tattersall, Martin H. N.
- Relation
- Psycho-Oncology Vol. 17, Issue 3, p. 209-218
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.1217
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2008
- Description
- Purpose: Psychological morbidity in cancer patients is common, but often undetected and untreated. We developed a communication skills training (CST) program targeting this issue, and evaluated its impact on doctor behaviour. Patients and Methods: Thirty of 35 oncologists from six teaching hospitals in six Australian cities, participated. The CST was a 1.5-day intensive face-to-face workshop incorporating presentation of principles, a DVD modelling ideal behaviour and role-play practice, followed by four 1.5 h monthly video-conferences incorporating role-play of doctor-generated scenarios. Doctors were randomized to receive the CST or not. Simulated patient interviews were videotaped and coded at baseline, after CST and 6 months later. Doctors completed questionnaires assessing stress and burnout at the same time points. Results: Doctors in the intervention group displayed more creating environment and fewer blocking behaviours at both follow-ups; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Intervention doctors valued the training highly, but did not report substantial reductions in stress and burnout. Conclusions: This short training programme demonstrated a positive effect on aspects of doctor behaviour. Video-conferencing after a short training course may be an effective strategy for delivering CST.
- Subject
- cancer; oncology; communication skills; eliciting and responding to emotion; randomised-controlled trial
- Identifier
- uon:5242
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/43114
- Identifier
- ISSN:1057-9249
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