The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has updated its Patient-Clinician Communication guidelines, which provide guidance to oncology clinicians on using effective communication to improve the patient-clinician relationship and well-being. Feedback from medical oncologists, hematologists, nurses, hospice and palliative medicine clinicians, and communication skills and advocacy experts was used to create the new guidelines.
In a press release following the publication of these guidelines, co-author Timothy Gilligan, MD, an oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute and director of Communication Skills at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, said, “High-stakes conversations with patients require careful planning and execution. Walking someone through information that may be very unwelcome requires a considerable degree of skill.”
What are the Guidelines?
The guideline update addressed 11 clinical questions. They asked what communication skills and practices apply to:
- Every visit across the continuum of cancer care?
- Telehealth interactions?
- Cross-disciplinary communication?
- Discussion of prognosis and goals of care?
- Treatment selection, including discussion of clinical trials?
- End-of-life discussions?
- Facilitating the involvement of the patient’s support network?
- Overcoming barriers to communication?
- Discussions of cost of care and financial toxicity?
- Mitigating stigma?
- Setting boundaries with patients?
In addition, a single educational question was addressed regarding the most effective ways for clinicians to learn to enhance their communication skills.
Read full article: https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/asco-releases-new-patient-clinician-communication-guidelines
