Effectiveness of interprofessional communication skills training for oncology teams: study protocol for a three-arm cluster randomised trial (KommRhein Interpro)

BMJ Open, vol. 12, pp. e062073

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Patient-provider communication is an important factor influencing the quality of care in oncology. The study examines the comparative effectiveness of a 10-hour interprofessional communication skills training (CST) programme for physicians and nurses in cancer centres. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: KommRhein Interpro is a cluster-randomised trial sponsored by the German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe, DKH) and conducted at the cancer centres of the university hospitals of Aachen, Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf. Thirty oncology teams of four cancer centres are randomly assigned to three study arms, providing healthcare professionals with either (a) only written information on patient-centred communication or (b) written information plus CST for physicians or (c) written information plus interprofessional CST for physicians and nurses. For summative evaluation, standardised surveys from three measurement points for patients (T0pat: study enrollment; T1pat: after discharge; T2pat: 3 months' follow-up) and two measurement points for physicians and nurses (T0hcp: before the intervention; T1hcp: after the intervention) are used. N=1320 valid patient cases are needed for data evaluation. The primary endpoint is fear of progression in patients with cancer after discharge. Data will be analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle using a mixed model for repeated measurement. Secondary outcome is the providers' self-efficacy in patient centeredness. Individual confounders and possible moderating effects of organisational factors will be considered. Secondary analysis will be performed by means of multilevel analysis and structural equation modelling. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: A vote of approval has been obtained from the ethics committees of the medical faculties of RWTH Aachen University (EK325/20), University of Bonn (391/20), University of Cologne (20-1332) and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (2019-796). Data protection regulations are adhered to for all processed data. The conduct of the study will be monitored. Dissemination strategies include a transfer workshop with cancer teams and distribution of the final study report to participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DRKS00022563; DRKS (German Clinical Trials Register).

Authors 12

1. André Karger corresponding

   Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

2. Andrea Petermann‐Meyer Aachen Department of Hematology, Oncology Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen (CIOA)

   RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

3. Frank Vitinius

   University of Cologne · University Hospital Cologne

   Affiliation as printed

   Department for Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Cologne, Germany

4. Franziska Geiser

   University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Bonn, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Bonn, Germany

5. Daria Kraus

   University of Cologne

   Affiliation as printed

   Clinical Trials Center Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

6. Luisa Ernsten

   Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

7. Antonia J Mayers

   Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

8. Christian Heuser

   University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Health Communication and Health Services Research, University of Bonn, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany

9. Kati Hiltrop

   University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Health Communication and Health Services Research, University of Bonn, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany

10. Rebecca Bremen Aachen Department of Hematology, Oncology Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen (CIOA)

    RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Aachen, Germany

11. Ambra Miriam Marx

    University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Bonn, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Bonn, Germany

12. Nicole Ernstmann

    University of Bonn · University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Health Communication and Health Services Research, University of Bonn, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany