An Education and Behavioral, Single-center, Observational Cohort Study Evaluating the Effect of Emotion Regulation and Burnout on Medical Trainees' Learning and Documentation of Serious Illness Communication
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Withdrawn
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Template use at 12 months
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This is a single-institution cohort study with two tiers. All participants receive the interventions in Tier 1. Tier 1 is an education study where participants can complete electronic surveys on their pre and post intervention confidence, perform two simulated patient encounters and have their documentation of electronic template monitored longitudinally over 12 months. Participants are free to opt out of any activity related to education assessment or system-based interventions to promote the use of learned skills (e.g. priming or profile feedback). Signed informed consent will Not be required for this tier. Tier 2 includes additional measurements to the Tier 1 activities, and a priming intervention (e.g. provided the names of patients they have have). Participants in Tier 2 complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview. after completing the training, they will complete a "priming" intervention. The investigators will require signed informed consent to participate in Tier 2.
Detailed Description
Before Communication Training Activities Tier 1 (education-only subjects): Three to four weeks prior to the subject's two-week palliative care elective they will be sent an email to complete an online confidence survey. They will receive email reminders to complete the survey until survey is completed.
Tier 2 (education + psychological measurements of subjects): Subjects will have reviewed and signed consent documentation. In addition to the above online confidence survey, they will also receive email to complete electronic ERSQ and MBI.
Two week palliative care elective Tier 1 - Integrated into the two-week elective with the palliative care department, subjects undergo a 1) four-hour training focused on the SICG©; 2) two simulated patient encounters with trained actors and feedback provided after training, 3) participant sent electronic notification to take post intervention survey of confidence Tier 2 - In addition to above, these subjects will also complete a Priming intervention. They will receive a list of patients whom 1) the study subjected documented at least one note on in the past and 2) have a high likelihood of serious illness as determined by an electronic process. This list will be shared securely through Dartmouth secure file electronically, and participants will be asked four "yes or no" questions for each patient: 1) do they believe the patient has serious illness?; 2) would you be surprised if the patient died within the next year?, 3) Is this patient an appropriate patient to use the serious illness conversation guide? and 4) If you saw this patient again, would you use the serious illness conversation guide with him/ her? Subjects will be asked to review no more than 30 patients. Subjects will be asked to return the completed email via Dartmouth secure file share.
Electronic communication every two months following completion of elective Tier 1 - Every two months after completing the training, participants will receive email compare his or her own documentation of the taught template to top and average performers (comparison results given are anonymous). Non-top and top performers will receive different messages, customized through pre-testing with non-study residents and fellows. For example: "Talking to patients about their values is important but can take some pre-visit planning. Choose a patient you will see in the next two weeks to use the SICG" (non top-performers) or "Good job! Talking to patients about their values is important. The way we continue to improve is by having more conversations. Choose a patient you will see in the next two weeks to use the SICG." (top-performers). At four months, subjects will be asked electronically to complete their final confidence survey.
Tier 2 - For this part of the study, identical to Tier 1
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Non Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •All second year (PGY-2) internal medicine residents
- •All hematology-oncology fellows
Exclusion Criteria
- •Missed more than five days of the palliative care education elective
Arms & Interventions
Education and Documentation (Tier 1)
Education only. Participants who do not wish to enroll in the behavioral observation group are followed in the education only. This includes participation in a two week palliative medicine elective which is a part of the medical trainees training and training in the serious illness communication guide (SICG). Participants can opt out of the pre and post training confidence surveys, and simulated patient encounters. Electronic documentation of the SICG by these trainees will be monitored prospectively. Participants will be provided reminders and profile information on their own documentation rate of the SICG via email and have the ability to opt out of receiving emails if they wish.
Intervention: Communication Skills Training (Behavioral)
Education and Documentation (Tier 1)
Education only. Participants who do not wish to enroll in the behavioral observation group are followed in the education only. This includes participation in a two week palliative medicine elective which is a part of the medical trainees training and training in the serious illness communication guide (SICG). Participants can opt out of the pre and post training confidence surveys, and simulated patient encounters. Electronic documentation of the SICG by these trainees will be monitored prospectively. Participants will be provided reminders and profile information on their own documentation rate of the SICG via email and have the ability to opt out of receiving emails if they wish.
Intervention: Profile feedback (Behavioral)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Communication Skills Training (Behavioral)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Profile feedback (Behavioral)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Maslach burnout inventory (Other)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Emotion Regulation Skills Question (ERSQ) (Other)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Semi-structured interview (Other)
Priming and additional measures (Tier 2)
Education and behavioral observation cohort. These participants must sign an informed consent to participate in this part of the study. In addition to all of Tier 1 activities, participants also complete psychological inventories at three time points to measure emotion regulation and burnout, and participate in a semi-structured interview.
Intervention: Priming (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Template use at 12 months
Time Frame: 12 months following training
Documentation events in the electronic medical record using the dot-phrase or electronic template for the serious illness conversation guide
Secondary Outcomes
- semi-structured interview responses(4 months)
- post-intervention self-rated confidence(Pre intervention and 4 months post intervention)
- performance in simulated patient encounters(Intervention start, 2 weeks and 6 months)
- emotion regulation skills(start, 6 months and 12 months)
- Change in Burnout(Baseline, 6 months and 12 months)
Investigators
Garrett T. Wasp
Fellow, GME Hematology-Oncology
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center