Communication skills training for Japanese oncologists on how to break bad news.
BACKGROUND
Despite significant communication gaps between patients and physicians, there has been little effort to initiate and evaluate teaching programs. We investigated whether a communication skills training (CST) could be effectively conducted for Japanese oncologists.


METHODS
Fifty-eight oncologists participated in the CST. We evaluated the program by measuring participant-rated confidence for communication with patients, burnout, and satisfaction of participants.


RESULTS
Immediately and at 3 months after CST, confidence in communication increased significantly compared with before. The providers' emotional-exhaustion 3 months after the workshop, however, worsened. The participants' satisfaction level with the program was high.


CONCLUSIONS
The CST is feasible for Japanese oncologists, but it needs to be modified to reduce emotional-exhaustion.
Fujimori
Maiko
M
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Japan.
Oba
Akira
A
Koike
Makiko
M
Okamura
Masako
M
Akizuki
Nobuya
N
Kamiya
Masae
M
Akechi
Tatsuo
T
Sakano
Yuji
Y
Uchitomi
Yosuke
Y
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires