Trial Outcomes & Findings for Improving Communication Between Cancer Patients & Oncologists (NCT NCT02969031)

NCT ID: NCT02969031

Last Updated: 2020-01-03

Results Overview

The score measures the construct of patient's perception of attentive response by the medical oncologist during recalled office encounters over 12 months. Patients completed the Clinician Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS©) Version 1.0 questionnaire via computer or phone Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.The Provider to Patient Communication Score:(1) Provider explained things in a way that was easy to understand (2) Provider listened carefully to patient (3) Provider showed respect for what patient had to say (4) Provider spent enough time with patient. Coded as 1 (Yes, definitely), 2 (Yes, somewhat), 3 (No), or 4 (I prefer not to answer).Obtained aggregate score ((1) to (3) above), calculated avg. of the scores to each question. Avgs. modeled with linear mixed-effect model. Analyzed data in both cases where a) missing responses are dropped from data and b) missing responses are kept in dataset. Lower score indicates more desirable outcome.

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

148 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

6 months

Results posted on

2020-01-03

Participant Flow

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Enhanced SCOPE Training
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients, audio record (using a smartphone application) eight clinic visits with eight different patients. Receive survey feedback as well as the enhanced SCOPE program that provides feedback on their audio-recorded encounters via a web-based interactive program. Enhanced SCOPE training: Intervention is integrated into the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance Of Certification (MOC) process.
Standard Communication Training
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients. Receive the results of the patient surveys and be asked to conduct a quality improvement activity of their own design that responds to the feedback (the current "standard" communication PIM). Standard Communication training: Standard Communication training
Enrolled and Randomized
STARTED
73
75
Enrolled and Randomized
COMPLETED
73
75
Enrolled and Randomized
NOT COMPLETED
0
0
Collection of Baseline Surveys
STARTED
73
75
Collection of Baseline Surveys
COMPLETED
34
23
Collection of Baseline Surveys
NOT COMPLETED
39
52
Collection of Baseline Recordings
STARTED
34
23
Collection of Baseline Recordings
COMPLETED
22
18
Collection of Baseline Recordings
NOT COMPLETED
12
5
Completed Intervention
STARTED
22
18
Completed Intervention
COMPLETED
15
14
Completed Intervention
NOT COMPLETED
7
4
Collection of Follow-Up Surveys
STARTED
15
14
Collection of Follow-Up Surveys
COMPLETED
15
12
Collection of Follow-Up Surveys
NOT COMPLETED
0
2
Collection of Follow-Up Recordings
STARTED
15
12
Collection of Follow-Up Recordings
COMPLETED
15
12
Collection of Follow-Up Recordings
NOT COMPLETED
0
0
Completed and Analyzed
STARTED
15
12
Completed and Analyzed
COMPLETED
15
12
Completed and Analyzed
NOT COMPLETED
0
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

Improving Communication Between Cancer Patients & Oncologists

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Enhanced SCOPE Training
n=15 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients, audio record (using a smartphone application) eight clinic visits with eight different patients. Receive survey feedback as well as the enhanced SCOPE program that provides feedback on their audio-recorded encounters via a web-based interactive program. Enhanced SCOPE training: Intervention is integrated into the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance Of Certification (MOC) process.
Standard Communication Training
n=12 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients. Receive the results of the patient surveys and be asked to conduct a quality improvement activity of their own design that responds to the feedback (the current "standard" communication PIM). Standard Communication training: Standard Communication training
Total
n=27 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
53.00 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.8 • n=5 Participants
51.92 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.0 • n=7 Participants
52.52 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 9.3 • n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
12 Participants
n=5 Participants
11 Participants
n=7 Participants
23 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
9 Participants
n=7 Participants
19 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
Religion
Christian
9 Participants
n=5 Participants
8 Participants
n=7 Participants
17 Participants
n=5 Participants
Religion
Jewish
0 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Religion
Islamic/Muslim
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
3 Participants
n=5 Participants
Religion
Buddhist/Hindu/Eastern
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
0 Participants
n=7 Participants
1 Participants
n=5 Participants
Religion
No Affiliation
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
1 Participants
n=7 Participants
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
Previous Training
Medical School
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=7 Participants
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
Previous Training
Residency
4 Participants
n=5 Participants
3 Participants
n=7 Participants
7 Participants
n=5 Participants
Previous Training
Fellowship
2 Participants
n=5 Participants
4 Participants
n=7 Participants
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
Previous Training
Practice Training
6 Participants
n=5 Participants
2 Participants
n=7 Participants
8 Participants
n=5 Participants
Previous Training
No Previous Training
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
5 Participants
n=7 Participants
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
Social vs. Technical Inclination
Social and Behavioral
10 Participants
n=5 Participants
5 Participants
n=7 Participants
15 Participants
n=5 Participants
Social vs. Technical Inclination
Technical and Scientific
5 Participants
n=5 Participants
7 Participants
n=7 Participants
12 Participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 6 months

The score measures the construct of patient's perception of attentive response by the medical oncologist during recalled office encounters over 12 months. Patients completed the Clinician Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS©) Version 1.0 questionnaire via computer or phone Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.The Provider to Patient Communication Score:(1) Provider explained things in a way that was easy to understand (2) Provider listened carefully to patient (3) Provider showed respect for what patient had to say (4) Provider spent enough time with patient. Coded as 1 (Yes, definitely), 2 (Yes, somewhat), 3 (No), or 4 (I prefer not to answer).Obtained aggregate score ((1) to (3) above), calculated avg. of the scores to each question. Avgs. modeled with linear mixed-effect model. Analyzed data in both cases where a) missing responses are dropped from data and b) missing responses are kept in dataset. Lower score indicates more desirable outcome.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Enhanced SCOPE Training
n=15 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients, audio record (using a smartphone application) eight clinic visits with eight different patients. Receive survey feedback as well as the enhanced SCOPE program that provides feedback on their audio-recorded encounters via a web-based interactive program. Enhanced SCOPE training: Intervention is integrated into the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance Of Certification (MOC) process.
Standard Communication Training
n=12 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients. Receive the results of the patient surveys and be asked to conduct a quality improvement activity of their own design that responds to the feedback (the current "standard" communication PIM). Standard Communication training: Standard Communication training
Provider to Patient Communication Score
1.0423 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.1380
1.0723 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 0.2049

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 6 months

What does the outcome measure? The outcome measures the construct of a physician's skill at providing appropriate empathic responses to patient's expressions of emotional concerns. The measure is the ratio of the number of empathic responses to the total empathic opportunities that occur during a provider-patient encounter. How is the outcome measured? The provider-patient encounters are audio recorded. Trained listeners review, score and code the physician responses from the audio-recorded conversations. This code indicates an empathic opportunity. Behaviors that represent appropriate empathic responses are also coded.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Enhanced SCOPE Training
n=15 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients, audio record (using a smartphone application) eight clinic visits with eight different patients. Receive survey feedback as well as the enhanced SCOPE program that provides feedback on their audio-recorded encounters via a web-based interactive program. Enhanced SCOPE training: Intervention is integrated into the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Maintenance Of Certification (MOC) process.
Standard Communication Training
n=12 Participants
Complete a baseline questionnaire, administer satisfaction surveys anonymously to a sample of their patients. Receive the results of the patient surveys and be asked to conduct a quality improvement activity of their own design that responds to the feedback (the current "standard" communication PIM). Standard Communication training: Standard Communication training
Empathic Response to Patient Expressions of Negative Emotions
0.2054 # empathic responses/# empathic opportun
Standard Deviation 0.2678
0.1203 # empathic responses/# empathic opportun
Standard Deviation 0.2735

Adverse Events

Enhanced SCOPE Training

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Standard Communication Training

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Julie Goldman

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Phone: 617-632-5563

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place