Communication Coaching to Improve Patient and Clinician Satisfaction in Cardiology Encounters
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Improved Communication Between Clinician and Patient
- Sponsor
- Duke University
- Enrollment
- 280
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Cardiologist Behavior as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment.
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
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.
Investigators
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
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Cardiologist Behavior as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment.
Time Frame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
WISER is based on established codebooks (i.e., Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity manual, and Suchman's codebook for patient emotion and physician empathic responses). Communication coaches taught five skills: 1) sitting down and making eye contact with all in the room, 2) open-ended questions, 3) reflective statements, 4) empathic statements, and 5) "What questions do you have?". Reported here is the number of Open-ended Questions asked.
Ratio of Empathic Responses to Empathic Opportunities
Time Frame: One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour
Communication coaches taught five skills: 1) sitting down and making eye contact with all in the room, 2) open-ended questions, 3) reflective statements, 4) empathic statements, and 5) "What questions do you have?". Reported here is the ratio of empathic responses to empathic opportunities.
Secondary Outcomes
- Global Ratings of Communication as Measured by WISER (Writing, Immersive Experiences, Speaking, Ethical Communication, and Research) Assessment(One encounter, up to approximately 1 hour)