Information Structuring SkillsNCT02468869
Improving Discharge Communication in the Emergency Department Through Information Structuring
A study testing Communication skills training "empathy skills" and Communication skills training "information structuring skills" in people with Information Structuring Skills and Empathy Skills, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of the proposed study is to assess the potential of information structuring for improving discharge communication. Specifically, the investigators aim to examine the advantages of an information-structuring skills training for physicians (compared to an empathy skills training) on discharge communication and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Information Structuring Skills, Empathy Skills
- What is being tested?
- Communication skills training "empathy skills" and Communication skills training "information structuring skills"
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 196 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- Apr 2015to Apr 2017
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Outpatients with chest pain
- Outpatients with abdominal pain
Who cannot join
- Patients younger than 18 years of age (limited ability to provide informed consent)
- Patients with limited ability to communicate in German, the default language at the hospital (confounder related to language proficiency)
- Patients with dementia (confounder arising from pathological memory deficits)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
University Hospital Basel, Emergency Department
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, 4031
About this study
Official title: Improving Discharge Communication in the Emergency Department Through Information Structuring: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of the proposed study is to assess the potential of information structuring for improving discharge communication. Specifically, the investigators aim to examine the advantages of an information-structuring skills training for physicians (compared to an empathy skills training) on discharge communication and associated patient outcomes, such as patients' information recall and adherence to physician recommendations. The investigators hypothesize that patients receiving structured discharge information from their trained physicians will be able to recall more information and show higher adherence to recommendations relative to controls (i.e., patients receiving discharge information from doctors trained in empathy skills).
- Conditions
- Information Structuring Skills, Empathy Skills
- Being tested
- Communication skills training "empathy skills", Communication skills training "information structuring skills"
- Keywords
- Recall, Discharge communication, Satisfaction, Adherence, Information structuring, Empathy skills
- Medical subject headings
- Personal Satisfaction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Communication skills training "empathy skills"Behavioural
Communication skills training "information structuring skills"Behavioural
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Information structuring skills training | Experimental | Physicians received a communication skills training focusing on information structuring with the so-called book metaphor for a structured discharge communication with the patient. Receives: Behavioral: Communication skills training "information structuring skills" |
| Empathy skills training | Active comparator | Physicians received a communication skills training focusing on empathy skills with the acronym NURSE for an empathetic discharge communication with the patient. Receives: Behavioral: Communication skills training "empathy skills" |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patients' recall of the information provided during discharge communication
Measured: 3 times: immediately after discharge, one week after discharge, one month after discharge
Secondary outcomes (2)
Adherence to recommendations
Measured: 2 times: one week and one month after discharge
Patient satisfaction in four dimensions
(1) comprehension, (2) structuredness (3) recommendation of the physician to family and friends (4) informativeness
Measured: Immediately after discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Jun 2015 (estimated)
- Study startApr 2015
- Primary completionApr 2017
- Study completionApr 2017
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Information Structuring SkillsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 196 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Basel, Max Planck Institute for Human Development
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Roland Bingisser, Prof. Dr., Principal investigator, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02468869
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- BACOP2
- Status last verified
- Oct 2018
- First submitted
- 27 May 2015
- Last updated
- 23 Oct 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Oct 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving Discharge Communication in the Emergency Department Through Information Structuring: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02468869
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- BACOP2
- Conditions
- Information Structuring Skills, Empathy Skills
- Keywords
- Recall, Discharge communication, Satisfaction, Adherence, Information structuring, Empathy skills
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 196 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Basel, Max Planck Institute for Human Development
- Study start
- Apr 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Apr 2017 (actual)
- Study completion
- Apr 2017 (actual)
- First posted
- 11 Jun 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of the proposed study is to assess the potential of information structuring for improving discharge communication. Specifically, the investigators aim to examine the advantages of an information-structuring skills training for physicians (compared to an empathy skills training) on discharge communication and associated patient outcomes, such as patients' information recall and adherence to physician recommendations. The investigators hypothesize that patients receiving structured discharge information from their trained physicians will be able to recall more information and show higher adherence to recommendations relative to controls (i.e., patients receiving discharge information from doctors trained in empathy skills).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Information structuring skills training | Experimental | Behavioral: Communication skills training "information structuring skills"Physicians received a communication skills training focusing on information structuring with the so-called book metaphor for a structured discharge communication with the patient. |
| Empathy skills training | Active comparator | Behavioral: Communication skills training "empathy skills"Physicians received a communication skills training focusing on empathy skills with the acronym NURSE for an empathetic discharge communication with the patient. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Outpatients with chest pain
- Outpatients with abdominal pain
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Patients younger than 18 years of age (limited ability to provide informed consent)
- Patients with limited ability to communicate in German, the default language at the hospital (confounder related to language proficiency)
- Patients with dementia (confounder arising from pathological memory deficits)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Communication skills training "empathy skills" | Behavioural | Empathy skills training |
| Communication skills training "information structuring skills" | Behavioural | Information structuring skills training |
Primary outcome
Patients' recall of the information provided during discharge communication
Time frame: 3 times: immediately after discharge, one week after discharge, one month after discharge
2 secondary outcomes
Adherence to recommendations
Time frame: 2 times: one week and one month after discharge
Patient satisfaction in four dimensions
Time frame: Immediately after discharge
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Oct 2018.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Roland Bingisser, Prof. Dr. principal investigator
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Communication skills training "empathy skills" and Communication skills training "information structuring skills" in people with Information Structuring Skills and Empathy Skills, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Oct 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patients' recall of the information provided during discharge communication (time frame: 3 times: immediately after discharge, one week after discharge, one month after discharge). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Oct 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 26 Oct 2026.