Acta Med. 2023, 66: 146-153
The Evaluation of Training Oral and Maxillofacial Trainees in Head and Neck Cancer Doctor-Patient Communication Using the Patient Concerns Inventory
, Jianhua Wuc, John Sandarsd, Anastasios Kanatase
aBradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, BD9 6DA, United Kingdom
bMaxillofacial Department, Wirral University Teaching Hospital, Wirral, CH49 5PE, United Kingdom
cSchool of Dentistry, University of Leeds, UK and Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
dEdgehill University, St Helens Rd, Ormskirk L39 4QP, United Kingdom
eLeeds Teaching Hospitals and St James Institute of Oncology, Leeds Dental Institute and Leeds General Infirmary, LS1 3EX, United Kingdom
Received October 8, 2023
Accepted January 3, 2024
Head and neck cancer has a significant impact on a patient’s health related quality of life (HRQOL). The head and neck specific Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI-HN) has been utilised to enhance doctor-patient dialogue in routine consultations. To date there has been no formal training for oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) surgical trainees in the use of the PCI-HN in consultations. The aim of the study was to evaluate training for OMFS surgical trainees in the use of the PCI-HN, using simulated follow-up HNC consultations, in order to improve doctor-patient communication skills. Material and methods: Ten oral and maxillofacial surgical trainees completed actor simulated HNC consultations before and after training. A study-specific mark scheme was developed based on the ComOn-Coaching rating scales and used to score the doctor-patient interaction. A group debrief afterwards explored the trainee’s experiences of the training and consultations. Results: All trainees showed an improvement in doctor-patient communication scores following their training. Overall, the six participants who were Specialty registrars, year 3 (ST3) or above, scored higher, than the four Specialty registrars, year 1–2 (ST1-2). The scores were higher if fewer PCI-HN items were discussed (3–4). The most frequently avoided PCI-HN items were intimacy and relationships. The trainees considered that their training was useful for organising their consultations and for providing holistic care. Conclusion: Although training improved surgeon-patient communication, further evaluation is required with a larger number of trainees and actual consultations in clinic.
Keywords
head and neck cancer, clinical training, Oral and Maxillofacial, Patient Concerns Inventory, surgeon-patient communication.
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Copyright
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
