title: Transfer of communication skills to the workplace: impact of a 38-hour communication skills training program designed for radiotherapy teams.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the efficacy of a 38-hour communication skills training program designed to train a multidisciplinary radiotherapy team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four radiotherapy teams were randomly assigned to a training program or a waiting list. Assessments were scheduled at baseline and after training for the training group and at baseline and 4 months later for the waiting list group. Assessments included an audio recording of a radiotherapy planning session to assess team members' communication skills and expression of concerns of patients with breast cancer (analyzed with content analysis software) and an adapted European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer satisfaction with care questionnaire completed by patients at the end of radiotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred thirty-seven radiotherapy planning sessions were recorded. Compared with members of the untrained teams, members of the trained teams acquired, over time, more assessment skills (P = .003) and more supportive skills (P = .050) and provided more setting information (P = .010). Over time, patients interacting with members of the trained teams asked more open questions (P = .022), expressed more emotional words (P = .025), and exhibited a higher satisfaction level regarding nurses' interventions (P = .028).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 38-hour training program facilitated transfer of team member learned communication skills to the clinical practice and improved patients' satisfaction with care.
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium. Isabelle.Merckaert@ulb.ac.be.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merckaert
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delevallez
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gibon
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Aurore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liénard
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Libert
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delvaux
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bragard
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reynaert
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Slachmuylder
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scalliet
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Houtte
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coucke
authors.affiliation: Isabelle Merckaert, France Delevallez, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Nicole Delvaux, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Isabelle Merckaert, Anne-Sophie Gibon, Aurore Liénard, Yves Libert, Paul Van Houtte, and Darius Razavi, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Nicole Delvaux, Hôpital Universitaire Erasme; Serge Marchal and Jean-Louis Slachmuylder, Centre de Psycho-Oncologie; Christine Reynaert and Pierre Scalliet, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels; and Anne-Marie Etienne, Isabelle Bragard, and Philippe Coucke, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Razavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003142:Communication; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D066107:Social Skills; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace