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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Study protocol

ComOn Coaching: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a varied number of coaching sessions on transfer into clinical practice following communication skills training

Authors: Marcelo Niglio de Figueiredo, Bärbel Rodolph, Carma L Bylund, Tanja Goelz, Pia Heußner, Heribert Sattel, Kurt Fritzsche, Alexander Wuensch

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Communication skills training has proven to be an effective means to enhance communication of health care professionals in oncology. These effects are well studied in standardized settings. The question of transferring these skills into clinical consultations remains open. We build up on a previous developed training concept consisting of a workshop and coaching. This training achieved a medium effect size in two studies with standardized patients. In the current study, we expanded and manualized the coaching concept, and we will evaluate effects of a varied number of coaching sessions on real clinical consultations. Our aim is to determine how much coaching oncologists need to transfer communication skills into clinical practice.

Methods/design

Physicians of two German medical centers will participate in a workshop for communication skills and will be randomized to either a group with one coaching session or a group with four coaching sessions following the workshop. The participation is voluntary and the physicians will receive medical education points. Consultations held by the participating physicians with actual patients who gave their informed consent will be filmed at three time points. These consultations will be evaluated by blinded raters using a checklist based on the training content (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes will be the self-evaluated communication competence by physicians and an evaluation of the consultations by both physicians and patients.

Discussion

We will evaluate our communication training concept on three levels – rater, physician and patient – and concentrate on the transfer of communication skills into real life situations.
As we emphasize the external validity in this study design, limitations will be expected due to heterogeneity of data. With this study we aim to gain data on how to improve communication skills training that will result in better patient outcomes.

Trial registration

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00004385.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
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Metadata
Title
ComOn Coaching: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a varied number of coaching sessions on transfer into clinical practice following communication skills training
Authors
Marcelo Niglio de Figueiredo
Bärbel Rodolph
Carma L Bylund
Tanja Goelz
Pia Heußner
Heribert Sattel
Kurt Fritzsche
Alexander Wuensch
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-015-1454-z

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