MSK Communication Skills Training for Oncology Clinicians

MSK Communication Skills Training for Oncology Clinicians is organized by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and will be held from Nov 04 - 05, 2021.

Who Should Attend:
This course is intended for clinicians working in oncology, who are interested in building upon their communication skillsets and enhancing their ability to communicate in an effective and sensitive manner in challenging situations with patients and their families.

Overview:
This two-day intensive live virtual training provides an overview of the importance of effective communication in clinical interactions and emphasizes evidence-based communication skills and strategies to support clinicians in common challenging communication scenarios, particularly in the oncology setting.

The course is comprised of brief didactic lectures as well as small group experiential role plays. Lectures feature exemplary videos, demonstrating the communication skills and strategies taught in the lecture, and present an overview of a "blueprint" or roadmap for navigating challenging communication scenarios. The small group role play exercises are tailored to your clinical population as well as your individual learning goal. Role plays are run by trained facilitators and include interaction with standardized patients which provides you an opportunity practice the communication skills and strategies in a variety of clinically sensitive and relevant situations.  Verbal feedback from peers and facilitators will be given during role play sessions.

While the curriculum has been developed for clinicians providing cancer care, it can be readily adapted for professionals in hospice settings and for those treating patients with HIV/AIDs as well as other chronic and life-threatening diseases.

The course is being hosted by Memorial Sloan Kettering's Comskil Training Program and Research Laboratory, the nation's first formally structured communication initiative at a comprehensive cancer center.

Objectives
• Outline the significance of communication skills training and the rationale for the use of role play in training.
• Recognize empathic opportunities in clinical encounters and describe the principles of an empathic response.
• Practice and implement foundational communication skills and process tasks that are necessary and relevant for discussions with patients and families, on the following topics, such as: prognosis; death, dying, and end of life goals of care; and engaging patients and family members in shared decision making for treatment options.