Discussing the transition to palliative care: evaluation of a brief communication skills training program for oncology clinicians

OBJECTIVE: Discussing the transition from active anti-cancer treatment to palliative care can be difficult for cancer patients and oncology health professionals (OHP). We developed a brief communication skills workshop to assist OHP with these conversations, and examined satisfaction with the workshop and perceived confidence regarding these discussions. METHOD: Interactive workshops were conducted by trained facilitators and included cognitive, behavioral, and experiential components. The major component of the workshop involved role-plays with trained actors (simulated patients). Participants completed an evaluation questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty-two OHP participated in workshops. Overall, participants were highly satisfied with the workshop content and format. All participants felt the workshop provided relevant practical information, and > 80% thought that participation benefited their work. Over 98% said that the workshop had increased confidence in their communication skills. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Participants were very satisfied with the workshop, and thought that participation increased confidence in communicating about the transition to palliative care. Dissemination of this model of communication skills training seems warranted.