None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study will develop and evaluate an online communication skills training program and compare it in terms of efficacy to an online + workshop training program for oncology health professionals working with cultural and linguistically diverse patients. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are a health professional aged 18 years or more, who has worked for at least two consecutive years in an oncology setting in the fields of medical oncology, radiation oncology or as an oncology nurse. Trial details: Participants in this trial will be randomly (by chance) allocated to one of two groups. Participants in both groups will undertake an online communication skills training intervention. This involves undertaking a self-paced, interactive online module (approximately 2 hours in duration), to be completed within two weeks of completing the baseline questionnaire. Participants in group 2 will also attend a 1 1/2 hour workshop within 12 weeks of completion of the online intervention that will develop communication skills through role-played scenarios. Participants will be assessed on completion of the intervention to evaluate their competence in communicating with cultural and linguistically diverse patients, and satisfaction with the program.
Interventions
Stage 1 - Focus groups will be conducted with 30 health professionals with previous experience working with cancer patients from cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Participants will be asked to undertake a 60 min focus group that will explore personal cultural awareness and values surrounding diversity; problem areas of communication with CALD patients; perceived barriers and enablers to effective communication with CALD patients; issues involved in working with interpreters
Stage 1 - Focus groups will be conducted with 30 health professionals with previous experience working with cancer patients from cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Participants will be asked to undertake a 60 min focus group that will explore personal cultural awareness and values surrounding diversity; problem areas of communication with CALD patients; perceived barriers and enablers to effective communication with CALD patients; issues involved in working with interpreters; coping with divergent cultural beliefs about cancer. Stage 2 - The findings from Stage 1 will inform the development of two communication skills training (CST) interventions - a self-paced (2 hour total duration) interactive online component and a 1 1/2 hr workshop. The workshop will be conducted after participants have undertaken the online component, and will use role-play simulations to demonstrate how to apply communication skills in a realistic clinical scenario. Stage 3 - Randomised phase II feasibility study. Approximately 140 health professionals will be randomised to either 1) complete the online CST intervention only or 2) complete the online intervention followed by the 1 1/2 hr workshop. Both groups will complete the same online intervention. Both groups will be given 2 weeks from completing the baseline questionnaire within which to complete the online program. Participants will be asked to complete a baseline questionnaire (T1), post-intervention questionnaire immediately after (T2), and then again six months post-intervention (T3). The questionnaire will evaluate the perceived impact of the interventions on actual clinical practice, confidence, and readiness to experiment with culturally competent communication. Usage data will be collected including time spent online, modules accessed, duration and completion of each module, time of day of access to modules. The workshop will be undertaken within 12 weeks of completing the online program.
Sponsors
University of New South Wales
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Health professionals that: - have worked for at least two consecutive years in an oncology setting AND - have worked as a medical or radiation oncologist or an oncology nurse AND - have adequate English literacy and communication skills
Exclusion criteria
Health professionals that: - have not worked in an oncology setting - have worked for less than two consecutive years in an oncology setting - are unable to give informed consent
Outcome results
None listed