SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2004
Communication training for health professionals who care for patients with cancer: a systematic review of effectiveness.
Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
52 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of hospital-based specialist palliative care for adults with advanced illness and their caregivers.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Communication skills training for healthcare professionals working with people who have cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Communication skills training for healthcare professionals working with people who have cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Can the feedback of patient assessments, brief training, or their combination, improve the interpersonal skills of primary care physicians? A systematic review.BMC health services research · 2008Pooled it
- Communication training for health professionals who care for patients with cancer: a systematic review of training methods.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2005Pooled it
- The effectiveness of shared decision-making followed by positive reinforcement on physical disability in the long-term follow-up of patients with nonspecific low back pain in primary care: a clustered randomised controlled trial.BMC family practice · 2018Trial
- RT Prepare: a radiation therapist-delivered intervention reduces psychological distress in women with breast cancer referred for radiotherapy.British journal of cancer · 2018Trial
- Using a computer simulation for teaching communication skills: A blinded multisite mixed methods randomized controlled trial.Patient education and counseling · 2017Trial
- Trial
- Medical students' skills and needs for training in breaking bad news.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2013Trial
- Trial
- Bibliometric analysis of oncology communication from 1976 to 2025: a focus on narrative medicine.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Review
- A mixed methods pilot study of a serious illness communication training curriculum among medical residents.Palliative care and social practice · 2025Article
- Using the communication technique of Clean Language in healthcare: an exploratory survey.BMJ open quality · 2024Article
- Mini-AFTERc: a controlled pilot trial of a nurse-led psychological intervention for fear of breast cancer recurrence.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2024Article
- Training Australian Dietitians in Behavior Change Techniques Through Educational Workshops: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2023Article
- What is in the toolkit (and what are the tools)? How to approach the study of doctor-patient communication.Postgraduate medical journal · 2023Article
- Early palliative care for solid and blood cancer patients and caregivers: Quantitative and qualitative results of a long-term experience as a case of value-based medicine.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Article
- Geriatrics communication skills training program for oncology healthcare providers to improve the management of care for older adults with cancer.PEC innovation · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEffective communication is increasingly recognised as a core clinical skill. However, there is evidence that health and social care professionals still lack basic communication skills. PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of different communication skills training courses for health professionals in cancer care.
methodsWe searched six computerised databases and augmented this with a follow-up of references and grey (unpublished) literature. We included all studies evaluating communication training and assessed methodological quality according to the standard grading system of the Clinical Outcomes Group. Data on author, year, setting, objectives, study design and results were extracted and compared in tabular format.
resultsA total of 47 studies potentially assessing communication training in the area of cancer care were identified. Sixteen papers were included describing 13 interventions. Four were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (grade I), with samples ranging from 72 to 233 subjects. The others were all grade III. Eleven interventions trained health professionals, two trained medical students. The outcomes measured included communication skills as assessed on audio or video, professionals' self-report and patient assessment. All the interventions demonstrated modest improvements (effect sizes ranged 0.15-2) and one found deterioration in the outcomes measured.
conclusionCommunication training improves basic communication skills. Positive attitudes and beliefs are needed to maintain skills over time in clinical practice and to effectively handle emotional situations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
15258839What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.