Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) Training

NCT ID: NCT05456841

Last Updated: 2026-01-15

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

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1232 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-04-28

Study Completion Date

2026-08-31

Brief Summary

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Research indicates that perceived stigma within medical encounters is prevalent and problematic for lung cancer patients' well-being and quality of cancer care. Promoting empathic communication appears to be a potentially effective intervention target to help reduce patients' perceptions of stigma within clinical encounters; however, no formal trainings exist that focus on teaching empathic communication to oncology care providers (OCPs). Building upon favorable findings from a prior R21 (R21CA202793) and the importance of developing interventions to address lung cancer stigma, our goal is to conduct a national trial of empathic communication skills (ECS) training to facilitate improvements in the medical and psychosocial care of patients through de-stigmatizing interactions with OCPs for patients diagnosed with lung cancer.

Detailed Description

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The aims of this study are:

1. to evaluate the effect of the ECS training on OCP primary outcomes (communication and empathic skill uptake) and secondary outcomes (ECS training appraisal - relevance, novelty, clarity; self-efficacy, empathy, compassion burn-out);
2. to evaluate the effect of the ECS training vs. WLC on patients' reported primary outcomes (lung cancer stigma), and secondary outcomes (perceived clinician empathy, satisfaction with communication, psychological distress, patients' experience of clinical encounter, and overall patient satisfaction).

Additionally, acceptance of referral to tobacco cessation (for those currently smoking) will be explored; and
3. to examine potential moderators of OCP (e.g., demographic characteristics, professional role characteristics) and patient outcomes (e.g., demographic characteristics, illness characteristics).

Our central hypothesis is that the ECS training will demonstrate significant short-term improvements in clinicians' uptake of empathic skills and self-efficacy and will be superior to WLC with regards to patient reported measures of stigma, clinician empathy, satisfaction, and overall experience.

Conditions

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Lung Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Caregivers

Study Groups

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Oncology Care Providers/OCP-intervention group

Providers participate in Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The overall training goal of this 2.25 hour module ECS module is to enhance OCP recognition and responsiveness to lung cancer patients' empathic opportunities by communicating understanding, alleviating stigma and distress, and providing support. The ECS training also provides tools to OCPs to buffer/inoculate patients against stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors by others such that lung cancer patients who currently or formerly smoked can be given "small doses" of an opposing viewpoint (termed as "preparing patients for recurring smoking questions") and suggestions of "counterarguments" in order to make them resistant to future stigmatizing attacks by others

Oncology Care Providers/OCP-control group

Providers complete all study measures and are offered ECS training after data collection is completed at their site.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard of Care participant interaction

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard of Care participant interaction

Participants with Lung Cancer-intervention group

Participants will engage with oncology care providers/OCP who have undergone Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The overall training goal of this 2.25 hour module ECS module is to enhance OCP recognition and responsiveness to lung cancer patients' empathic opportunities by communicating understanding, alleviating stigma and distress, and providing support. The ECS training also provides tools to OCPs to buffer/inoculate patients against stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors by others such that lung cancer patients who currently or formerly smoked can be given "small doses" of an opposing viewpoint (termed as "preparing patients for recurring smoking questions") and suggestions of "counterarguments" in order to make them resistant to future stigmatizing attacks by others

Participants with Lung Cancer-control group

Waitlist control group - WLC

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Standard of Care participant interaction

Intervention Type OTHER

Standard of Care participant interaction

Interventions

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Empathic Communication Skills (ECS) training

The overall training goal of this 2.25 hour module ECS module is to enhance OCP recognition and responsiveness to lung cancer patients' empathic opportunities by communicating understanding, alleviating stigma and distress, and providing support. The ECS training also provides tools to OCPs to buffer/inoculate patients against stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors by others such that lung cancer patients who currently or formerly smoked can be given "small doses" of an opposing viewpoint (termed as "preparing patients for recurring smoking questions") and suggestions of "counterarguments" in order to make them resistant to future stigmatizing attacks by others

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Standard of Care participant interaction

Standard of Care participant interaction

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Site Eligibility

* Employs at least 15 FTE OCPs (i.e., oncologists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) as per self report
* Reports a clinic volume of at least 20 new lung cancer patients per month as per self report

OCP Participant Eligibility

* OCPs who are thoracic oncology physicians (radiologists, medical oncologists, pulmonologists, and surgeons), NPs, or PAs and currently treating lung cancer patients, as per self-report;
* OCP conducts consultations with lung cancer patients, as per self-report;
* OCP sees at least 1 lung cancer patient per week, as per self-report;

Patient Eligibility

* Patient under the care of a participating OCP as per self report;
* English and/or Spanish speaking;

* In general, which language do you prefer to receive your medical care, English/Spanish/both English and Spanish Equally?
* If English, treat as fluent in English, no additional language questions
* If Spanish, treat as fluent in Spanish, no additional language questions
* If both English and Spanish equally, ask the follow-up questions and go with whichever language is endorsed as best. If endorsed equally, assign to category patient prefers
* How well do you speak English? Not at all/ Not well/Well/Very well
* How well do you speak Spanish? Not at all/Not well/Well/Very well
* Is at least 18 years of age as per self report;
* Has a history of suspicious lung mass or confirmed lung cancer diagnosis, as per clinician judgment or medical record note;
* Is a former or current smoking as per self report;
* Has had no more than 10 prior visits with the participating OCP, as per the medical record and/or self report

Exclusion Criteria

Patient Exclusion

* Individuals of impaired decision-making capacity as per a clinician's judgment or as documented in the EMR.

Site and OCP Exclusion

* None
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

100 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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American Cancer Society, Inc.

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Go2 Foundation for Lung Cancer

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Smita Banerjee, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Locations

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Providence St. Joseph Health (Data Collection Only)

Irvine, California, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

BAPTIST ALLIANCE - MCI (Data Collection Only)

Miami, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Advocate Health Care Network

Libertyville, Illinois, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Kentucky (Data Collection Only)

Lexington, Kentucky, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

Munson Healthcare (Data Collection Only)

Traverse City, Michigan, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

Hackensack Meridian Health (Data collection only)

Hackensack, New Jersey, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Data Collection Only)

Buffalo, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)

New York, New York, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Virtua Health (Data Collection Only)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status COMPLETED

University of Pennsylvania (Data Collection Only)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Chesapeake Regional Healthcare (Data Collection Only)

Chesapeake, Virginia, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Smita Banerjee, PhD

Role: CONTACT

646-888-0011

Jamie Ostroff, PhD

Role: CONTACT

646-888-0041

Facility Contacts

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Ian Bostock, MD

Role: primary

786-596-2000

Michael Breen, MD

Role: primary

847-367-6781

David Greenberg, MD

Role: primary

551-996-8704

Elisabeth Dexter, MD

Role: primary

716-845-2300

Smita Banerjee, PhD

Role: primary

646-888-0011

Victoria Sherry, DNP, CRNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP

Role: primary

(215) 615-5858

Stephen Noble, MD

Role: primary

757-842-4499

References

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Banerjee SC, Malling CD, Schofield EA, Carter-Bawa L, Bylund CL, Hamann HA, Parker PA, Shen MJ, Studts JL, Williamson TJ, Ostroff JS. Empathic communication skills training to reduce lung cancer stigma: Study protocol of a cluster randomized control trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Oct;145:107669. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107669. Epub 2024 Aug 23.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39182827 (View on PubMed)

Banerjee SC, Malling CD, Shen MJ, Williamson TJ, Bylund CL, Studts JL, Mullett T, Carter-Bawa L, Hamann HA, Parker PA, Steliga M, Feldman J, Pantelas J, Borondy-Kitts A, Rigney M, King JC, Fathi JT, Rosenthal LS, Smith RA, Ostroff JS. Getting ready for prime time: Recommended adaptations of an Empathic Communication Skills training intervention to reduce lung cancer stigma for a national multi-center trial. Transl Behav Med. 2023 Sep 28;13(10):804-808. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibad048.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37579304 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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http://www.mskcc.org

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Other Identifiers

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21-339

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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