Effectiveness of brief training in cognitive behaviour therapy techniques for palliative care practitioners.

We describe training in CBT techniques for 20 palliative care practitioners delivered as 12 days' equivalent teaching plus skills-building supervision over a six month period. Audiotapes of trainees' interactions with patients during their usual work were rated using a specially devised 'Cognitive First Aid' rating scale (CFARS). The CFARS was highly internally consistent (Cronbach's Alpha 0.