Palliative Care Topic Analysis:  Evaluation of Communication Skills Training to Facilitate

Posted: January 4th, 2023

Palliative Care Topic Analysis:  Evaluation of Communication Skills Training to Facilitate

Addressing Palliative Care

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Palliative Care Topic Analysis:  Evaluation of Communication Skills Training to Facilitate

Addressing Palliative Care

The article titled “Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training to Facilitate Addressing Palliative Care Related Topics in Advanced Cancer Patients: Study Protocol of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (PALLI-KOM)” by Harnischfeger et al. (2020)  analyzes the assessment of a communications skills training approach to facilitate the management of palliative care-related themes among advanced cancer patients. As per the study, early incorporation of palliative care synchronously with common cancer is linked to several benefits for both patients and their primary caregivers. If the facilitators offer sufficient communications training that emerges as useful, it will offer a viable intervention to enhance earlier communiqué of palliative care-associated topics in caring for patients with advanced cancer. Additionally, this undertaking would assist to establish the timely assimilation of palliative care founded on both universal and national guidelines.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of the investigation by Harnischfeger et al. (2020) is to assess freshly established communication skills training in a randomized controlled trial. Essentially, the training’s objective is to strengthen the clinicians’ ability to handle palliative care associated themes sufficiently and early in the disease trajectory. The principal research question is, “Does the selected training enhance communication capabilities and consulting proficiencies to address palliative care-associated topics?” 

Method

Design

Primarily, Harnischfeger et al. (2020) the study execute communications skills exercises, and subsequently evaluating it using a multi-centered, latent, and two-pronged randomized control trial across the four selected sites locations in Germany. The skilled subjects are medical physicians handling cancer patients portraying advanced symptoms as a part of their day-to-day routines. The exploration aims to investigate the consequence of an intervention based on communication regarding palliative care. Physicians drawn from diverse specialist qualifications are recruited and indiscriminately assigned to IGs receiving the communication skills training, as well as a wait-list control group, denoted as CG. The data obtained from both study groups are evaluated around six to ten weeks in advance (baseline, T0) and between six to ten weeks following the particular training activity (T1). Then, the researchers assess the CG at analogous time-points and appear at the training activity once they exhaust the data gathering activity.

Sample

The sample size comprised 134 subjects, which was arrived at following sample size calculation (Cohen’s d = 0.5), which determined that 67 participants per group were sufficient to identify medium group variations using a two-tailed test of a power of 80 percent (0.80) AT A P< 0.05I significance level. Also, the research assumes a medium relationship of r = 0.3 between the starting level and outcome extent. Founded on a projected dropout rate of 30 percent, the investigators conclude that the recruitment of 87 physicians in total (87 per group) is necessary.

Settings

Accordingly, the number of partaking physicians is recruited sequentially in groups consist of ten subjects, who are then equally split across the study locations. For the actual enlistment, the study distributes info material across the local oncological linkages, actions, and in conferences.

Instrument

The study utilizes computer-generated randomization for its exploration sites that will be implemented by an experienced autonomous co-worker consulted from the statistical-techniques-group of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf’s Department of Medical Psychology (Harnischfeger et al., 2020). Computer-generated randomization across all four sites will be undertaken independently. Given that the participants were expected to be recruited uninterruptedly, the investigators opted for block randomization where each block comprising 20 participants will be applied. For each block of 20 participants, 10 will be assigned to the IG, while the rest will go to the CG. The allocation ratio to be applied is 1:1.

Results

Currently, the study outcomes have not been made available. As a substitute, the investigators contend that they will propagate the results via formal publication in symposia, scientific gatherings, and peer-reviewed publications (Harnischfeger, et al., 2020). The randomized control trial is anticipated to offer a viable intervention intended for a wide array of recipients to enhance earlier communication regarding palliative care topics and associated end-of-life themes.

References

Harnischfeger, N., Rath, H. M., Ullrich, A., Alt-Epping, B., Letsch, A., Thuss-Patience, P., . . . Bergelt, C. (2020). Evaluation of a communication skills training to facilitate addressing palliative care related topics in advanced cancer patients: study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial (PALLI-KOM). BMC Palliative Care 19(67), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00568-3.

Summary of the Study

Essentially, the study aims to provide a solution to late communication implications for physicians dealing with advanced cancer patients daily to enhance their outcomes through acquisition of appropriate communication skills in training. The evaluation desires to assess a skills training that can aptly address the physicians’ aptitude to communicate sufficiently and early enough regarding palliative care-associated themes, primarily among the mentioned group of patients. To the investigators knowledge, the study is the pioneering one in randomized controlled trial for communications training, especially given that only a few investigations have touched on the subject within palliative care related spheres. The studies that exist currently in the domain are only restricted to communicating single, distinct facets of the domain, while excluding the aspect of communications training, notwithstanding its significance. The investigators have mapped out a clear approach for their study, outlining the methodology, sample design, and setting, which will offer a blueprint for the successful completion of the entire study. Besides, the study commits to make its evaluations based on the existent guidelines on the early integration of palliative care as recommended at the national and international levels.