title: Promoting patient participation in healthcare interactions through communication skills training: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present literature on training patients in the use of effective communication skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic searches were conducted in six databases. References were screened for inclusion through several phases. Extracted data included intervention study design, sample characteristics, content and structure of training programs, outcomes assessed, and findings reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 32 unique intervention studies were included. Most targeted primary care or cancer patients and used a randomized controlled study design. Interventions used a variety of training formats and modes of delivering educational material. Reported findings suggest that communication training is an effective approach to increase patients' total level of active participation in healthcare interactions and that some communication behaviors may be more amenable to training (e.g., expressing concerns). Trained patients do not have longer visits and tend to receive more information from their providers. Most studies have found no relationship between communication training and improved health, psychosocial wellbeing, or treatment-related outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings reinforce the importance and potential benefits of patient communication training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional research is warranted to determine the most efficacious training programs with the strongest potential for dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: dagostit@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Latella
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.affiliation: Medical Library, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Antonio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: DeRosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation
keywords: Communication skills; Communication training; Doctor-patient communication; Patient participation