The implementation and assessment of a comprehensive communication skills training curriculum for oncologists Journal Article


Authors: Bylund, C. L.; Brown, R.; Gueguen, J. A.; Diamond, C.; Bianculli, J.; Kissane, D. W.
Article Title: The implementation and assessment of a comprehensive communication skills training curriculum for oncologists
Abstract: Objective: The objective of this paper is to report the implementation and assessment of the Comskil Training Curriculum at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Method: Twenty-eight attending physicians and surgeons participated in communication skills training modules as part of a train-the-trainer program. Doctors were video recorded in clinical consultations with patients two times before training and two times after training, resulting in 112 video recordings for analysis. Recordings were coded using the Comskil Coding System. Results: Communication skills related to two of the six major skill sets, Establishing the Consultation Framework and Checking, increased following training. Limited changes emerged in three skill sets, while one skill set, Shared Decision Making, did not change. Doctors who attended more training modules had higher levels of change. Female participants demonstrated three skills more frequently than males post-training. Conclusions: The intervention produced significant communication skills uptake in a group of experienced attending clinicians, mediated by the amount of training. Future research should focus on the dose of training necessary to achieve skills uptake and the effect of skills training on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: treatment outcome; outcome assessment; videorecording; oncology; doctor patient relation; training; curriculum; clinical competence; program evaluation; communication; physician-patient relations; medical oncology; medical specialist; communication skills training; communication skill; consultation; doctor-patient communication; sex difference; sex factors; decision making; education program; coding; video recording
Journal Title: Psycho-Oncology
Volume: 19
Issue: 6
ISSN: 1057-9249
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons  
Date Published: 2010-01-01
Start Page: 583
End Page: 593
Language: English
DOI: 10.1002/pon.1585
PUBMED: 19484714
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 20 April 2011" - "CODEN: POJCE" - "Source: Scopus"
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MSK Authors
  1. Richard Brown
    19 Brown
  2. David W Kissane
    164 Kissane
  3. Jennifer Gueguen
    14 Gueguen