TY - JOUR
T1 - Empathic communication skills training to reduce lung cancer stigma
T2 - Study protocol of a cluster randomized control trial
AU - Banerjee, Smita C.
AU - Malling, Charlotte D.
AU - Schofield, Elizabeth A.
AU - Carter-Bawa, Lisa
AU - Bylund, Carma L.
AU - Hamann, Heidi A.
AU - Parker, Patricia A.
AU - Shen, Megan J.
AU - Studts, Jamie L.
AU - Williamson, Timothy J.
AU - Ostroff, Jamie S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - Background: Prior research demonstrates that nearly all (95 %) people with lung cancer (PwLC) report stigma, and approximately half (48 %) PwLC experience stigma during clinical encounters with oncology care providers (OCPs). When stigma is experienced in a medical context, it can have undesirable consequences including patients' delaying and underreporting of symptoms, misreporting of smoking behavior, and avoiding help-seeking such as psychosocial support and cessation counseling. Multi-level interventions are needed to prevent and mitigate lung cancer stigma. One promising intervention for reducing patient perception and experience of stigma is to train OCPs in responding empathically to patient emotions and promoting empathic communication within clinical encounters. Methods: This paper describes the study protocol for a cluster randomized trial comparing Usual Care (waitlist control group) with Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training (intervention group). For this study, we will recruit 16 community oncology practice sites, 9–11 OCPs per site, and 6 PwLCs per OCP. Results: The goal of this trial is to investigate the effect of the ECS training on (a) OCP primary outcomes (communication and empathic skill uptake) and secondary outcomes (ECS training appraisal – relevance, novelty, clarity; self-efficacy, attitude towards communication with patients); and (b) patient-reported primary outcomes (lung cancer stigma), and secondary outcomes (perceived clinician empathy, satisfaction with OCP communication, psychological distress, social isolation, and appraisal of care). Conclusion: Findings from this trial will advance understanding of the effectiveness of the ECS training intervention and inform future provider-level training interventions that may reduce lung cancer stigma and improve cancer care delivery. ClinicalTrials.gov
AB - Background: Prior research demonstrates that nearly all (95 %) people with lung cancer (PwLC) report stigma, and approximately half (48 %) PwLC experience stigma during clinical encounters with oncology care providers (OCPs). When stigma is experienced in a medical context, it can have undesirable consequences including patients' delaying and underreporting of symptoms, misreporting of smoking behavior, and avoiding help-seeking such as psychosocial support and cessation counseling. Multi-level interventions are needed to prevent and mitigate lung cancer stigma. One promising intervention for reducing patient perception and experience of stigma is to train OCPs in responding empathically to patient emotions and promoting empathic communication within clinical encounters. Methods: This paper describes the study protocol for a cluster randomized trial comparing Usual Care (waitlist control group) with Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training (intervention group). For this study, we will recruit 16 community oncology practice sites, 9–11 OCPs per site, and 6 PwLCs per OCP. Results: The goal of this trial is to investigate the effect of the ECS training on (a) OCP primary outcomes (communication and empathic skill uptake) and secondary outcomes (ECS training appraisal – relevance, novelty, clarity; self-efficacy, attitude towards communication with patients); and (b) patient-reported primary outcomes (lung cancer stigma), and secondary outcomes (perceived clinician empathy, satisfaction with OCP communication, psychological distress, social isolation, and appraisal of care). Conclusion: Findings from this trial will advance understanding of the effectiveness of the ECS training intervention and inform future provider-level training interventions that may reduce lung cancer stigma and improve cancer care delivery. ClinicalTrials.gov
KW - Cluster randomized controlled trial
KW - Communication skills training
KW - Empathic communication
KW - Lung cancer stigma
KW - Oncology care providers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202501295&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85202501295&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107669
DO - 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107669
M3 - Article
C2 - 39182827
AN - SCOPUS:85202501295
SN - 1551-7144
VL - 145
JO - Contemporary Clinical Trials
JF - Contemporary Clinical Trials
M1 - 107669
ER -