NCT03671382

Communication During Medical Consultations in Singapore -Pilot

Training Oncologists and Empowering Patients in Affective Communication During Medical Consultations in Singapore (TEAMS) - A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 104 (actual)
• Sponsor: Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Despite advanced cancer patients and their caregivers frequently experiencing psychological distress and wanting to know about their prognosis, oncologists rarely respond with empathy and provide adequate information regarding patient prognosis. We aim to address the communication gap during consultations by developing an Oncologist E-Learning Communications Skills Training Program guiding physicians on how to recognize and respond to patient/caregiver distress and to disclose prognosis; and a Patient Prompt Sheet to encourage discussions of psychological distress and prognosis. We will assess the feasibility of delivering this two-component intervention program within a cancer center in Singapore through a 2-arm randomized controlled trial in which 8 oncologists will be randomly assigned to Control Arm (n=4) and Intervention Arm (n=4). Oncologists in the intervention arm will receive the E-Learning Program. Their patients will also receive the Patient Prompt Sheet before their consultation with oncologist. After completion of oncologist intervention we will audio-record and survey 3 patients with Stage IV cancer and their caregivers per oncologist before and after their consultations. If the study is shown to be feasible and acceptable, then its effectiveness will be assessed in a larger trial.

Conditions

• Communication Research

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Communication Training Program and Patient Prompt Sheet	The intervention being delivered is a two-component intervent. First component is the Oncologist Communication Skills Training Program. This is an e-learning module teaching oncologists to recognize and respond to patient/caregiver distress, provide information including prognosis and discuss goals of care. The second component is a patient prompt sheet which will be administered to three patients of intervention arm oncologists in the waiting area at least 30 minutes before their consultation. The sheet includes structured questions for patients to ask the oncologist about diagnosis and prognosis and will prompt patients to label and express their emotions in a direct manner.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-07-31
• Primary completion: 2019-02-01
• Completion: 2019-02-01
• First posted: 2018-09-14
• Last updated: 2019-02-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Singapore