Breaking Bad News in Obstetrics: A Trial of Simulation-Debrief Based Education

NCT ID: NCT02168192

Last Updated: 2016-03-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

36 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2010-11-30

Study Completion Date

2013-07-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of training in Breaking Bad News (BBN) skills. We hypothesize that given little or no formal training in breaking bad news, obstetric providers will benefit from a curriculum of teaching breaking bad news techniques, but will benefit more from a simulation teaching technique than from a lecture in breaking bad news techniques.

The investigators also hypothesize that providers who have undergone breaking bad news simulation will receive improved scores after the simulation debriefing compared to their pre-simulation scores, and their improvement with be greater than the control group.

Detailed Description

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The investigators' study is part of a planned educational initiative on breaking bad news communication skills, planned for house staff in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. All subjects will undergo both a baseline and post-education simulation. The investigators' study intervention is a personalized review and debriefing of the simulation, as compared with a conventional lecture in order to assess the best curriculum for teaching this skill set.

The investigators' study design will be described, consent obtained and consenting house staff will be randomized to participate in a simulation-based education session/debrief or to attend lecture. Randomization will be achieved using sequential opaque envelopes containing allocation cards, designating group assignment. A physician who is not involved in the study will randomly insert allocation cards into the envelopes and group assignment will be concealed until after enrollment is complete.

Subjects will be assigned a study number. The list of subject identifiers and study numbers will be kept separate from other study data, and destroyed after all phases of the study are complete. All other study data will have identifying information deleted, and will be stored in a password protected database.

The investigators plan to have subjects assess baseline characteristics and breaking bad news skills using a self-assessment tool. Subsequently all house staff will be evaluated on their management of breaking bad news through a baseline SP scenario, with assessments by physician-teachers as well as the SPs . These SPs are non-physicians, and do not have supervisory control over the study subjects. The physician-teachers are the co-investigators on this study: Drs. Chazotte, Dayal, Landsberger, Bernstein, Goffman, and Karkowsky.

After this baseline assessment, the intervention group will debrief their baseline simulation with a physician educator. The control group will instead undergo a conventional lecture about "Breaking Bad News" techniques. Finally, both groups will undergo a second simulation, which will be assessed by SPs and physician-teachers

After this step, subjects will fill out self-assessment tools on BBN. House staff who did not undergo the conventional curriculum will then attend the lecture; similarly, those subjects who were not in the intervention group will then have the opportunity to review their simulation in a personal debriefing session.

Six months after the study, we plan to have all subjects fill out a self-assessment form to assess if any long-term change to their BBN skills has been sustained.

SPs will be formally trained in the scenario and in their responses, as well as in standardized assessment of the subjects.

Conditions

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Breaking Bad News Skills Communications Skills Medical Education Obstetrics Simulation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

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Traditional Lecture

These subjects received a 10 minute power point lecture on BBN skills.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Traditional lecture

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Control group underwent lecture for approximately 10 minutes reviewing BBN skills.

Simulation-Debrief

These subjects received a formal debrief process, reviewing their prior baseline simulation.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Simulation-Debrief

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects underwent a formal debrief, reviewing the BBN skills exhibited in their prior simulation of an obstetrical communication skills scenario.

Interventions

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Simulation-Debrief

Subjects underwent a formal debrief, reviewing the BBN skills exhibited in their prior simulation of an obstetrical communication skills scenario.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Traditional lecture

Control group underwent lecture for approximately 10 minutes reviewing BBN skills.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

-Montefiore Medical Center Obstetrics/Gynecology department house staff.

Exclusion Criteria

* House staff that were unable to attend at least two sessions.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Montefiore Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Cynthia Chazotte, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Montefiore Medical Center

Locations

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Montefiore Medical Center

The Bronx, New York, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Other Identifiers

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10-08-275

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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