MedPath

Patient Perception of Physician's Compassion, Communication Skills, and Professionalism During an Outpatient Palliative Care Visit

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Malignant Neoplasms of Independent (Primary) Multiple Sites
Advanced Cancer
Interventions
Behavioral: Baseline Questionnaires
Other: Videos
Behavioral: Assessment Questionnaires
Registration Number
NCT02957565
Lead Sponsor
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Brief Summary

The goal of this research study is to learn how patients feel about their doctors' attitudes toward supportive care and treatment options for advanced cancer patients.

Detailed Description

If you agree to take part in this study, during an already-scheduled office visit, you will complete 5 questionnaires about your symptoms, your physical and emotional health, and your trust in the medical profession. These questionnaires should take about 17 minutes to complete.

Study Groups:

After you have completed the first 5 questionnaires, you will be randomly assigned (as in the roll of the dice) to 1 of 4 groups.

Each group will watch 2 short videos that show actors playing doctor and patient roles, discussing different cancer-related symptom treatment options. Each video is about 4 minutes long and will discuss the same content, but setting of each video will be different.

After watching the first video, you will complete 3 questionnaires about your opinions of the doctor's behavior. These questionnaires should take about 5 minutes to complete.

After you watch the second video, you will complete the same 3 questionnaires. You will also complete 2 additional questionnaires about which doctor you would rather have as your doctor and why, and your opinion about the setting of the examination room in the video. It should take about 8 minutes to complete these questionnaires.

Length of Study:

It should take about 38 minutes to watch both videos and to complete all questionnaires. Your participation on this study will be over after you have completed the last questionnaire.

Other Information:

You must attend the study visit alone. Your family members should not be in the room with you while you are participating in the study. You may request to have family members remain in the room, but they must remain silent so that they do not influence your opinions.

This is an investigational study.

Up to 120 participants will be enrolled in this study. All will take part at MD Anderson.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
121
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Patients with the diagnosis of advanced cancer defined as locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic disease.
  2. Outpatients (either new referrals or follow ups) seen in the Supportive Care Clinic.
  3. Age >/= 18 years old
  4. English speaking
  5. Patients with normal cognitive status (Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) </=6/30) who are able to understand the nature and purpose of the study and have the ability to complete the consent process.
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Patients who are experiencing severe symptom distress, including severe emotional distress and cognitive dysfunction, which may interfere with study participation. This will be determined by the principle investigator and/or attending physician who is caring for the patient during that visit.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Video 1: No EHR - Physician AVideosParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 1: No EHR - Physician BBaseline QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 1: No EHR - Physician BAssessment QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician ABaseline QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician BVideosParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician AVideosParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 1: No EHR - Physician AAssessment QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician BAssessment QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 1: No EHR - Physician ABaseline QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 1: No EHR - Physician BVideosParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician AAssessment QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Video 2: With EHR - Physician BBaseline QuestionnairesParticipant completes 5 questionnaires during an already-scheduled office visit. Participant then watches 2 short videos. After the first video, participant completes 3 questionnaires. After viewing the second video, participant completes 5 questionnaires.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Participant's Rating of Physician's Compassion1 day

Participant's rating of physician's compassion assessed by using a 5-item tool consisting of five 0-10 numerical rating scales assessing five dimensions: warm-cold, pleasant-unpleasant, compassionate distant, sensitive insensitive, caring-uncaring. The sum of the five scales gives a final score representing physician's compassion with a 0 to 50 scale.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Participant's Rating of Physician Communication Skills1 day

Participant's rating of physician communication skills assessed by using a 14-item tool consisting of 1 to 4 numerical rating scales assessing communication skills. The sum of these 14 scales gives a final score representing physician's communication skills with a 14 to 70 scale.

Participant's Rating of Physician's Professionalism1 day

Participant's rating of physician's professionalism assessed by using a 4-item tool assessing politeness, listening, explaining the condition and treatment to the participant and participant's involvement in treatment decisions. Participant rates from poor to very good.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

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