The Provider Awareness and Cultural Dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons Trial

NCT ID: NCT03576495

Last Updated: 2024-06-07

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

View full results

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2901 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-07-01

Study Completion Date

2022-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This study is designed to test the impact of a new curriculum, called Provider Awareness Cultural Dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons (PACTS), on surgical residents' cross-cultural knowledge, attitudes, and skills surrounding the care of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as clinical and patient-reported health outcomes for patients treated by surgical residents undergoing this training.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

In order to improve overall health outcomes of minority patients undergoing surgical care, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) collaborated with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and prioritized the evaluation and the the effect of improvement in culturally dexterous care on surgical outcomes for patients from disparity populations.

Poor outcomes in patients are attributed to poor patient-provider communication which may lead to treatment errors, inadequate pain management, less patient-centered care, decreased adherence to treatment plans, and worse overall clinical outcomes. Additionally, studies have shown that some surgeons have pro-White implicit biases, which are unconscious, automated preferences that individuals may not even be aware of.

Historically, formal training in cultural competency is generally integrated into medical education at the undergraduate level but it rarely continues up to the post-graduate level. Few surgical programs have attempted to incorporate cross-cultural communication skills into their educational paradigms, and the approaches to doing so have been inconsistent.

In order to add the surgical context in post-graduate level medical education, the investigators adopted a novel approach to cross-cultural communication for surgical trainees, known as cultural dexterity. Cultural dexterity refers to a set of skills and cognitive practices used to maximize communication across multiple dimensions of cultural diversity and deviates from the concept of cultural competency in that it does not demand that learners associate certain practices and behaviors with individuals based on generalizations.

Study design:

Cross-over, cluster-randomized trial

Study Procedures:

Curriculum Administration

The PACTS curriculum incorporates contemporary learning practices such as the "flipped classroom" model and team-based learning. It consists of e-learning modules and interactive sessions in which residents will apply concepts from the e-learning modules to role-play scenarios constructed in a team-based learning format. Residents will be given detailed, scripted prompts for the role-play sessions followed by structured feedback from peers and facilitators.

Outcome Measurement:

Residents

To evaluate the impact of PACTS on surgical residents' knowledge and attitudes about caring for diverse patients, the investigators will use a pre- and post-test in the form of validated instruments that assess knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported skills on a Likert-type scale.

Resident skills will also be objectively assessed through an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) that will be created by the study staff and administered immediately before the intervention and 3 months after the intervention has been completed. The OSCE uses 5-point Likert scale questions to evaluate resident performance across multiple domains. These may be administered virtually or in-person.

A Standardized Patient evaluator and a third-party trained impartial observer will evaluate the residents on these domains, and the resulting numerical scores will be averaged. It will serve both a summative and educational purpose in this context.

Residents will be required to take a knowledge survey before and after receiving the PACTS curriculum or standard training. Attitudes regarding the importance of facing cross-cultural health care situations will be assessed across multiple domains using a novel survey instrument that is based on a survey that was used in a similar curriculum aimed at medical students, as well as the Values and Belief Systems domain.

Patients

To evaluate patients' satisfaction and clinical quality related to PACTS training, the investigators will administer surveys to patients treated by residents to determine satisfaction with pain management, communication, trust-building, and comprehension of the informed consent discussion two months before and after the intervention is implemented.

Patient satisfaction will be assessed using elements of the validated Patient Satisfactions Survey.

We plan to collect clinical surgical outcomes obtained from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for each patient participant before and after the PACTS curriculum is implemented to measure individual outcomes such as length of stay, postoperative complications, unplanned reoperations, and 30-day morbidity/mortality. A post hoc analysis of clinical outcomes will be performed.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Resident Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Cross-cultural Care Interpersonal and Communication Skills in Patient-clinician Encounters Patient-reported Satisfaction With Resident Physicians Involved in Their Care Patients' Clinical Health Outcomes After Surgery

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Sites will be assigned to an early intervention/retention assessment group or a delayed intervention group (control) for examination of the effectiveness of the intervention as well as learner retention.
Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Resident program directors and research staff will not be blinded to the implementation of curriculum

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Early Intervention Group

The investigators will assess the residents' knowledge, attitudes, and skills prior to and after the PACTS curriculum administration at half the sites (Early Intervention Group). Evaluation results in the Early Intervention Group will be compared to the Delayed Intervention (Active Comparator) group at time Period 2.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

PACTS curriculum

Intervention Type OTHER

The cultural dexterity curriculum, known as PACTS (Provider Awareness Cultural Dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons) focuses on developing cognitive skills to adapt to individual patients' needs to ensure personal, patient-centered surgical care.

The curriculum is comprised of four educational modules on establishing trust in the physician-patient relationship, communicating effectively with patients with limited English proficiency, discussing informed consent, and issues surrounding pain management. Each module consists of an independent learning activity, an interactive role-play, and a post-lesson assessment.

Delayed Intervention Group

The investigators will conduct baseline testing prior to the standard residency curriculum. These results will be compared to the Early Intervention Group (Experimental Group) at time period 2.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard Residency Curriculum

Intervention Type OTHER

The standard residency curriculum consists of previously scheduled resident didactic sessions at all academic medical centers that may or may not include topics on cultural competency or cross-cultural care.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

PACTS curriculum

The cultural dexterity curriculum, known as PACTS (Provider Awareness Cultural Dexterity Toolkit for Surgeons) focuses on developing cognitive skills to adapt to individual patients' needs to ensure personal, patient-centered surgical care.

The curriculum is comprised of four educational modules on establishing trust in the physician-patient relationship, communicating effectively with patients with limited English proficiency, discussing informed consent, and issues surrounding pain management. Each module consists of an independent learning activity, an interactive role-play, and a post-lesson assessment.

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard Residency Curriculum

The standard residency curriculum consists of previously scheduled resident didactic sessions at all academic medical centers that may or may not include topics on cultural competency or cross-cultural care.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

\- All residents in the general surgery program at Johns Hopkins University, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Brown University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Howard University, and Washington University in St. Louis.


* Admitted to surgical service under the care of a participating resident;
* Able to recognize resident as the main care provider from a photo;
* Able to consent as determined by a cognitive screen for capacity to give informed consent
* Fluent in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria

\- Non-surgical residents at Johns Hopkins University, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Brown University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Howard University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

\*Eligibility Criteria for Patients:


* Admitted to Intensive Care;
* Mentally impaired and/or not oriented to person/time/ place.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Howard University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Johns Hopkins University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Brown University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Eastern Virginia Medical School

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Washington University School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Brigham and Women's Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Adil Haider

Kessler Director, Center for Surgery and Public Health

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Adil Haider, MD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Douglas Smink, MD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Howard University Hospital

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Site Status

Johns Hopkins Hospital

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Washington University in St. Louis

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

Rhode Island Hospital

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Site Status

Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk, Virginia, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Haider AH, Weygandt PL, Bentley JM, Monn MF, Rehman KA, Zarzaur BL, Crandall ML, Cornwell EE, Cooper LA. Disparities in trauma care and outcomes in the United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2013 May;74(5):1195-205. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e31828c331d.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23609267 (View on PubMed)

Haider AH, Scott VK, Rehman KA, Velopulos C, Bentley JM, Cornwell EE 3rd, Al-Refaie W. Racial disparities in surgical care and outcomes in the United States: a comprehensive review of patient, provider, and systemic factors. J Am Coll Surg. 2013 Mar;216(3):482-92.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2012.11.014. Epub 2013 Jan 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23318117 (View on PubMed)

Torain MJ, Maragh-Bass AC, Dankwa-Mullen I, Hisam B, Kodadek LM, Lilley EJ, Najjar P, Changoor NR, Rose JA Jr, Zogg CK, Maddox YT, Britt LD, Haider AH. Surgical Disparities: A Comprehensive Review and New Conceptual Framework. J Am Coll Surg. 2016 Aug;223(2):408-18. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2016.04.047. Epub 2016 Jun 10. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27296524 (View on PubMed)

Cooper LA, Roter DL, Carson KA, Beach MC, Sabin JA, Greenwald AG, Inui TS. The associations of clinicians' implicit attitudes about race with medical visit communication and patient ratings of interpersonal care. Am J Public Health. 2012 May;102(5):979-87. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300558. Epub 2012 Mar 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22420787 (View on PubMed)

Betancourt JR, Green AR, Carrillo JE, Ananeh-Firempong O 2nd. Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public Health Rep. 2003 Jul-Aug;118(4):293-302. doi: 10.1093/phr/118.4.293.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12815076 (View on PubMed)

Betancourt JR, Green AR, Carrillo JE, Park ER. Cultural competence and health care disparities: key perspectives and trends. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Mar-Apr;24(2):499-505. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.24.2.499.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15757936 (View on PubMed)

Horvat L, Horey D, Romios P, Kis-Rigo J. Cultural competence education for health professionals. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 May 5;2014(5):CD009405. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009405.pub2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24793445 (View on PubMed)

Weissman JS, Betancourt J, Campbell EG, Park ER, Kim M, Clarridge B, Blumenthal D, Lee KC, Maina AW. Resident physicians' preparedness to provide cross-cultural care. JAMA. 2005 Sep 7;294(9):1058-67. doi: 10.1001/jama.294.9.1058.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16145026 (View on PubMed)

Shah SS, Sapigao FB 3rd, Chun MBJ. An Overview of Cultural Competency Curricula in ACGME-accredited General Surgery Residency Programs. J Surg Educ. 2017 Jan-Feb;74(1):16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.06.017. Epub 2016 Sep 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27663082 (View on PubMed)

Haider AH, Dankwa-Mullan I, Maragh-Bass AC, Torain M, Zogg CK, Lilley EJ, Kodadek LM, Changoor NR, Najjar P, Rose JA Jr, Ford HR, Salim A, Stain SC, Shafi S, Sutton B, Hoyt D, Maddox YT, Britt LD. Setting a National Agenda for Surgical Disparities Research: Recommendations From the National Institutes of Health and American College of Surgeons Summit. JAMA Surg. 2016 Jun 1;151(6):554-63. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2016.0014.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26982380 (View on PubMed)

Allar BG, Ortega G, Chun MBJ, Rodriguez JGZ, Mullen JT, Lynch KA Jr, Harrington DT, Green AR, Lipsett PA, Britt LD, Haider AH, Smink DS, Kent TS; PACTS Trial Group. Changing Surgical Culture Through Surgical Education: Introduction to the PACTS Trial. J Surg Educ. 2024 Mar;81(3):330-334. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.11.018. Epub 2023 Dec 23.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38142149 (View on PubMed)

Khubchandani JA, Atkinson RB, Ortega G, Reidy E, Mullen JT, Smink DS; PACTS Trial Group. Perceived Discrimination Among Surgical Residents at Academic Medical Centers. J Surg Res. 2022 Apr;272:79-87. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.10.029. Epub 2021 Dec 20.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34942508 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Download supplemental materials such as informed consent forms, study protocols, or participant manuals.

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

1R01MD011685-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2018P001237

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.