title: How to optimize physicians' communication skills in cancer care: results of a randomized study assessing the usefulness of posttraining consolidation workshops.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although there is wide recognition of the usefulness of improving physicians' communication skills, no studies have yet assessed the efficacy of post-training consolidation workshops. This study aims to assess the efficacy of six 3-hour consolidation workshops conducted after a 2.5-day basic training program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physicians, after attending the basic training program, were randomly assigned to consolidation workshops or to a waiting list. Training efficacy was assessed through simulated and actual patient interviews that were audiotaped at baseline and after consolidation workshops for the consolidation-workshop group, and approximately 5 months after the end of basic training for the waiting-list group. Communication skills were assessed according to the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. Patients' perceptions of communication skills improvement were assessed using a 14-item questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three physicians completed the training program. Communication skills improved significantly more in the consolidation-workshop group compared with the waiting-list group. In simulated interviews, group-by-time repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in open and open directive questions (P =.014) and utterances alerting patients to reality (P =.049), as well as a significant decrease in premature reassurance (P =.042). In actual patient interviews, results revealed a significant increase in acknowledgements (P =.022) and empathic statements (P =.009), in educated guesses (P =.041), and in negotiations (P =.008). Patients interacting with physicians who benefited from consolidation workshops reported higher scores concerning their physicians' understanding of their disease (P =.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consolidation workshops further improve a communication skills training program's efficacy and facilitate the transfer of acquired skills to clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Education, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Av F Roosevelt, 50-CP 191, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. drazavi@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Razavi
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merckaert
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Libert
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conradt
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boniver
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.forename: Ovide
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janne
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klastersky
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reynaert
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scalliet
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Slachmuylder
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delvaux
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004493:Education; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011897:Random Allocation