VERDIS-AHP: Enhancing Staff-Patient Communication in Palliative and End of Life Care

Project Duration

October 2015 - December 2019

Funder

National Institute for Health Research

Aims

• To identify communication skills used by end of life care specialist physiotherapists and occupational therapists and to develop and evaluate evidence-based communication skills training resources for non-specialist NHS staff and communication skills trainers.

• To identify communication practices used by end of life care specialist physiotherapists and occupational therapists

• To design and develop evidence-based training materials for non-specialist NHS staff who provide the majority of healthcare for those nearing the end of life

• To systematically review existing communication skills training interventions and evaluate the impact of these training resources on staff-patient communication

Methods

Workstream one involves video recording specialist therapy consultations involving experienced end of life care physiotherapists and occupational therapists, their patients and patients' significant others. Recordings are planned at several centres. Recordings will be analysed using the social science approach 'conversation analysis'.

Analysis will identify communication practices that facilitate effective and sensitive communication, and that facilitate contributions by patients and their significant others to healthcare decision-making conversations.

Workstream two involves a detailed review of theoretical and empirical work on effective teaching and learning of communication skills. This review will feed into design of the interventions in workstream three.

Workstream three involves the development and evaluation of communication skills training interventions using extracts from authentic therapy sessions.

Stage of Development

The project is currently underway.