Cancer
Conditions
Keywords
communication
Brief summary
This clinical trial seeks to understand patients' experiences with the healthcare team and the quality of communication between patients and doctors in cancer clinics. The main question it aims to answer is: * Does TrialTalk™ improve communication between providers and patients? Participants will complete questionnaires before and after their standard of care clinic visit.
Detailed description
The online TrialTalk™ training system uses evidence-based principles and best practices for instructional design for adult learners. The system uses a four-stage learning goal framework (i.e., knowledge, skill, understanding, and application) to ensure that the training moves from rote knowledge- and skill acquisition to integration, application, ownership, and long-term memory in clinical practice. The first module introduces the TrialTalk™ framework, why it's relevant and effective to patients and providers and describes the learning goals for the rest of the course. The second module focuses on essential elements of the TrialTalk™ conversation process through examples, metaphors, and description, followed by exercises at the end of the module that solidify the basic concepts of the conversational process. The third module focuses on the essential components of the diagram, how it integrates with the conversational process, and how to use it in a patient meeting. A set of assessment and reflection questions at the end of module 3 reinforces the concepts and components of the diagram. The fourth module brings all the TrialTalk™ elements together through case studies that exemplify how the conversational process and diagram work together in different types of patient meetings (for example, a new patient versus an established patient). Assessment and reflection questions at the end of module 4 focus on integrating and using the TrialTalk™ method in practice. Learners also develop a three-day action plan to begin to use TrialTalk™ with their patients. The TrialTalk™ training system provides learning resources to physicians such as a self-assessment rubric, FAQs, a checklist, and diagram template. TrialTalk™ intervention includes two components: provider-focused skills-based training to ensure providers' competency in using the conversational and diagrammatic aspects of TrialTalk™, and the patient-facing component, which is the TrialTalk™ tool itself, to help patients understand their prognosis and treatment options in order to make a shared informed decision about their cancer management.
Interventions
OTHERTrialTalk™
TrialTalk™ is a communication tool that focuses on making the options visible and accessible while involving patients in the discussion.
Sponsors
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Providers: * Hematologists, medical oncologists, or hematology/oncology fellows * Willing to complete TrialTalk™ training Inclusion Criteria - Patients: * ≥ 18 years old * have a confirmed diagnosis of cancer * identify as Black, African American, or non-Hispanic White * can read and understand English to complete the study questionnaires * had previous visits with the enrolled provider
Exclusion criteria
- Providers: * providers who received previous training in the TrialTalk™ method or used it in practice before will be excluded
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity - Providers | Monthly for 6 months | Fidelity to the tool by providers is measured by a 9 item qualitative questionnaire, asking how many times and how providers used TrialTalk™ when talking with their patients. |
| Sustainability of TrialTalk™ communication tool | 1 year | Providers will answer a 3 item questionnaire regarding their use of TrialTalk™. Items are scored on a 5 point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all and 5 = very much. Higher scores indicate better sustainability of the tool. |
| Change in quality of communication | Up to 2 hours | Patient participants will rate the quality of communication they receive from their provider. They will answer a 13 item questionnaire with a 6-point Likert scale, where 0= not done and 5 = excellent. Scores range from 0-65, with higher scores indicating better communication. |
| Change in trust of provider | Up to 2 hours | Patient participants will rate how much they trust their provider using a 6 item questionnaire. Scores are on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all and 5 = extremely. Scores range from 6-30, with higher scores indicating greater trust. |
| Usefulness of tool | Up to 2 hours | Patient participants will complete a 7 item questionnaire about the visual diagram created with their provider. It is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = not at all and 5 = extremely. Scores range from 7-35, with higher scores indicating greater usefulness. |
| Understanding of treatment options | Up to 2 hours | Patient participants will answer 9 yes or no questions regarding how well they understood the options presented to them during the visit. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTCancer Connect
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMonica Patel, MD
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Outcome results
None listed