title: Standardized Patient Training Programs: an Efficient Solution to the Call for Quality Improvement in Oncologist Communication Skills.
abstract: Several key medical and oncologic professional societies have endorsed the importance of physician communication as a quality improvement metric. Despite this clear message, there remain substantial barriers to communication skills training (CST) in oncologic specialties. Herein, we describe the major barriers to communications training and propose standardized patient (SP) programs as efficient and strategic starting points and as expansion opportunities for new and existing CSTs.
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Abigail T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vapiwala
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*