Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on June 26, 2006
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdl142
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels; Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Background: No study has yet assessed the impact of physicians' skills acquisition after a communication skills training programme on the evolution of patients' anxiety following a medical consultation. This study aimed to compare the impact, on patients' anxiety, of a basic communication skills training programme (BT) and the same programme consolidated by consolidation workshops (CW), and to investigate physicians' communication variables associated with patients' anxiety. Patients and methods: Physicians, after attending the BT, were randomly assigned to CW or to a waiting list. The control group was not a non-intervention group. Consultations with a cancer patient were recorded. Patients' anxiety was assessed with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory before and after a consultation. Communication skills were analysed according to the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. Results: No statistically significant change over time and between groups was observed. Mixed-effects modelling showed that a decrease in patients' anxiety was linked with screening questions (P = 0.045), physicians' satisfaction about support given (P = 0.004) and with patients' distress (P < 0.001). An increase in anxiety was linked with breaking bad news (P = 0.050) and with supportive skills (P = 0.013). No impact of the training programme was observed. Conclusions: This study shows the influence of some communication skills on the evolution of patients' anxiety. Physicians should be aware of these influences.
Received February 23, 2006
Revised April 12, 2006
Accepted May 5, 2006
original article
Factors that influence cancer patients' anxiety following a medical consultation: impact of a communication skills training programme for physicians
A. Liénard 1,
I. Merckaert 1,
Y. Libert 1,
N. Delvaux 2,
S. Marchal 3,
J. Boniver 4,
A.-M. Etienne 5,
J. Klastersky 6,
C. Reynaert 7,
P. Scalliet 8,
J.-L. Slachmuylder 3,
and
D. Razavi 1 *
2 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels; Hôpital Universitaire Erasme, Service de Psychologie, Brussels
3 C.A.M. (Training and Research Group), Brussels
4 Université de Liège, Faculté de Médecine, Liège
5 Université de Liège, Faculté de Psychologie, Liège
6 Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels
7 Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation, Louvain-la-Neuve
8 Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Médecine, Brussels, Belgium
D. Razavi, E-mail: drazavi{at}ulb.ac.be
Abstract 
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  R. Chun, S. Schaefer, C. C. Lotta, J. A. Banning, and S. E. Skochelak Didactic and Experiential Training to Teach Communication Skills: The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Collaborative Experience J Vet Med Educ, June 1, 2009; 36(2): 196 - 201. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Z. Pantilat Communicating With Seriously Ill Patients: Better Words to Say JAMA, March 25, 2009; 301(12): 1279 - 1281. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|