Impact of a cancer clinical trial communication workshop on oncology fellows’ observed communication skills.

Abstract

103 Background: Effective oncologist-patient communication about cancer clinical trials is critical for improving participation, yet most hematology-oncology fellowship programs do not formally teach or assess trial-specific communication behaviors. We implemented and assessed the impact of a clinical trials-focused communication skills workshop on fellows’ communication skills. Methods: The three-hour, Zoom-based workshop was implemented with seven fellowship programs. The workshop included a one-hour didactic session addressing trial participation barriers and introducing the COMM-CCT framework (Check-In, Outline Options, Make a Shared Decision, Map Out Next Steps) and a two-hour role-play session to practice communication skills. We evaluated workshop impact using pre- and post-intervention Zoom-recorded objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). OSCEs included two clinical scenarios with a standardized patient (SP) that were randomized across pre- and post-assessments. Assessment also included participants’ self-reported comfort level with and the realism of the SP (1-5 scale). Coders rated OSCE transcripts using a 16-item checklist aligned with COMM-CCT framework domains and behaviors. Two coders, blinded to pre-post status, independently assessed all transcripts, with each item being coded as present, absent, or not applicable; discrepancies were reconciled by consensus with oversight by a third coder. Results: Of 62 workshop attendees, 53% (n=33) participated in the OSCEs. Participants reported high levels of comfort communicating with the SP (mean=4.2, SD=0.9) and rated the realism of the SP favorably (mean=4.4, SD=0.8). Pre- and post-training OSCEs did not differ significantly in length (mean=11.64 v. 11.42 minutes; p=0.66). Of the 16 items, 10 (63%) were present more frequently at post- than pre-training, three (19%) were present less frequently, and three (19%) were always present at 100% both pre- and post. Pre-post item differences did not reach significance and did not differ significantly by scenario order (p=0.33). Participants with lower baseline scores improved significantly more than participants with higher baseline scores (p<0.001). Conclusions: Most communication skills improved following a clinical trials communication workshop, with positive trends observed across individual communication items. Improvements were greater among fellows with lower baseline scores, suggesting that medical educators should focus on training those with weaker communication skills. Future work should explore whether brief “booster” sessions could help reinforce and sustain communication skills over time.