Patient Communication Training Intervention

Completed

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to test a class for Queens Cancer Center patients. We want to find out if patients think this program is helpful.

Detailed Description: It is well accepted that effective physician-patient communication is associated with important outcomes. Communication training interventions for oncologists and other clinicians has been shown to be effective in changing behavior and improving outcomes. Less attention has been given to improving cancer patients' communication with their physicians. Most of the studies in this area have been focused on activating patients through training them to ask questions. Although question asking is a vitally important patient communication skill, other patient communication skills should also be encouraged for patients.

In the primary care setting, studies on patient communication training have focused on three additional communication skills to asking questions: presenting information, checking understanding, and expressing concerns. The goal of this study is to pilot test a patient communication workshop that builds on the work done in the primary care setting, offering an intervention that focuses on a broad range of skills. The proposal aims to improve communication skills in an underserved population, which may be a factor contributing to minority health disparities.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Patients seeing a physician at Queens Cancer Center (not family members or partners)
Able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

Less than 18 years of age (as per self-report)
Cognitive or physical impairment rendering patients incapable of providing informed consent to participate in the study.
As the workshop will be given in English and the measures are all written in English, subjects who are not fluent in English will be excluded.

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
communication training workshop	Questionnaires and training workshop	The patient intervention is a 1 hour communication workshop entitled: "Getting the Most out of your Doctor's Visit." The workshops will be offered to both patients and family members, but data will be collected only for patients. The workshops will be held on location at Queens Cancer Center.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To determine the feasibility of a patient communication training intervention.	2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To attain preliminary data on the acceptability of the intervention through patient ratings of effectiveness and usefulness of the intervention.	2 years
To attain preliminary data on the effect of a patient communication training intervention on patients' self-reported communication behaviors.	2 years

Receive instant email notifications about changes in this clinical trial

Receive instant email notifications about changes in this clinical trial