A preliminary study of the effectiveness of cancer communication skills training for interdisciplinary staff

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundStudies have emphasized that the disclosure of a diagnosis and prognosis is the doctor’s responsibility, but little attention has been given to the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation.ObjectiveTherefore, this study examined and compared the effectiveness of cancer communication skills training (CST) for doctors and interdisciplinary staff in Taiwan.MethodsThis study utilized a quasi-experimental design. The participants were 124 oncology professionals who participated in cancer CST. These 124 professionals included a group of 65 doctors and a group of 59 interdisciplinary professionals, both of which received the same CST. After the participants have received CST, the changes in their disease disclosure skills were evaluated.ResultsSignificant pretest-posttest differences were observed in the overall truth-telling scores for both groups (doctors: t = 6.94, P < 0.001; interdisciplinary professionals: t = 7.71, P < 0.001) and in different constructs. However, in many items, the doctors demonstrated no progress after receiving the training (P > 0.05), whereas the interdisciplinary professionals demonstrated significant progress (P < 0.05). In particular, the doctors’ scores for ‘disclosing information in a monotonous tone’ showed significant retrogression (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the overall truth-telling scores of the two groups with regard to pre- and post-CST (P > 0.05 and P > 0.05, respectively), and there were also no significant differences in the four sub-scales’ scores.ConclusionThe CST for interdisciplinary professionals improved their cooperation and communication skills.