Communication and information about complementary medicine in a Dutch oncology setting: Interviewing patients and providers on their experiences and needs.

Background: Complementary medicine such as yoga, massage and art therapy has become increasingly popular among patients with cancer. However, the topic remains under-discussed during oncology consultations: patients seem hesitant to disclose complementary medicine use, and healthcare providers lack resources to discuss complementary medicine. This study aims to gain an understanding of how to improve communication and information provision in oncological settings about complementary medicine by assessing the experiences and needs of patients and healthcare providers.

Interprofessional contact with conventional healthcare providers in oncology: a survey among complementary medicine practitioners.

Background: Half of all patients with cancer use complementary medicine. Given the benefits and risks associated with complementary medicine use, contact between complementary medicine practitioners and conventional healthcare providers (oncologists, nurses) is important for monitoring the health and well-being of mutual patients with cancer. Research on occurrence of such interprofessional contact is scarce.

Optimizing placebo and minimizing nocebo effects through communication: e-learning and virtual reality training development.

Background: The effects of many treatments in healthcare are determined by factors other than the treatment itself. Patients' expectations and the relationship with their healthcare provider can significantly affect treatment outcomes and thereby play a major role in eliciting placebo and nocebo effects. We aim to develop and evaluate an innovative communication training, consisting of an e-learning and virtual reality (VR) training, for healthcare providers across all disciplines, to optimize placebo and minimize nocebo effects through healthcare provider-patient communication.

Quality of life after immune suppressive therapy in aplastic anemia.

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare form of immune-mediated bone marrow failure, which can result in life-threatening infections or bleeding if left untreated. Treatment consists of either immune suppressive therapy (IST) or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). While considerable research has been published regarding survival, response rate and toxicity of both treatments, knowledge on the impact on quality of life (QoL) is scarce.

Effects of prognostic communication strategies on emotions, coping, and appreciation of consultations: An experimental study in advanced cancer.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate effects of prognostic communication strategies on emotions, coping, and appreciation of consultations in advanced cancer.

Methods: For this experimental study, we created 8 videos of a scripted oncological consultation, only varying in prognostic communication strategies. Disease-naive individuals ( = 1036) completed surveys before and after watching 1 video, while imagining being the depicted cancer patient.

Open communication between patients and relatives about illness & death in advanced cancer-results of the eQuiPe Study.

Objective: To assess the degree of openness of communication about illness and death between patients with advanced cancer and their relatives during the last three months of the patient's life, and its association with relatives' characteristics and bereavement distress.

Methods: We used data from bereaved relatives of patients with advanced cancer from the prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, observational eQuipe study. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the association between the degree of openness of communication (measured using the validated Caregivers' Communication with patients about Illness and Death scale), the a priori defined characteristics of the relatives, and the degree of bereavement distress (measured using the Impact of Event Scale).

Effects of Prognostic Communication Strategies on Prognostic Perceptions, Treatment Decisions and End-Of-Life Anticipation in Advanced Cancer: An Experimental Study among Analogue Patients.

Context: Evidence-based guidance for oncologists on how to communicate prognosis is scarce.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of prognostic communication strategies (prognostic disclosure vs. communication of unpredictability vs.

Methodological innovations to strengthen evidence-based serious illness communication.

Background/objective: A growing population of those affected by serious illness, prognostic uncertainty, patient diversity, and healthcare digitalization pose challenges for the future of serious illness communication. Yet, there is paucity of evidence to support serious illness communication behaviors among clinicians. Herein, we propose three methodological innovations to advance the basic science of serious illness communication.

Effect of Clinician-Expressed Empathy in Advanced Cancer on Different Ethnic Groups: Results from an Experimental Video-Vignette Study.

In advanced cancer, clinician-expressed empathy can improve patients' psychological outcomes. It remains unknown whether all patients benefit equally from empathy. To explore whether the effect of clinician-expressed empathy on patients' psychological outcomes is moderated by patient ethnicity.

Using expert opinion rounds to develop valid and realistic manipulations for experimental video-vignette research: Results from a study on clinicians' (un)reasonable argumentative support for treatment decisions in neonatal care.

Objective: To develop valid and realistic manipulations for video-vignette research using expert opinion rounds, in preparation of an experimental study on clinicians' (un)reasonable argumentative support for treatment decisions in neonatal care.

Methods: In three rounds, N = 37 participants (parents/clinicians/researchers) provided feedback on four video-vignette scripts and completed listing, ranking, and rating exercises to determine which (un)reasonable arguments clinicians may provide to support treatment decisions.

Results: Round 1: participants deemed the scripts realistic.

Good versus bad news consultations in advanced breast cancer: the role of empathy in information recall - an observational study.

Objective: We explored, in advanced breast cancer, whether: (1) patients recall less information following bad versus good news consultations; (2) empathy has a greater effect on recalled information following bad versus good news consultations.

Methods: Observational study using audio-recorded consultations. Participants' recall of provided information about treatment options, aims/positive effects and side-effects was assessed.

How is complementary medicine discussed in oncology? Observing real-life communication between clinicians and patients with advanced cancer.

Objective: This study aims to examine the structure of communication about complementary medicine (CM) between patients with cancer and clinicians during oncology consultations.

Methods: Previously, consultations between 29 clinicians and 80 patients with advanced cancer were recorded in six hospitals in the Netherlands. The present study considers a secondary analysis.

Toward a basic science of communication in serious illness.

High-quality communication can mitigate suffering during serious illness. Innovations in theory and technology present the opportunity to advance serious illness communication research, moving beyond inquiry that links broad communication constructs to health outcomes toward operationalizing and understanding the impact of discrete communication functions on human experience. Given the high stakes of communication during serious illness, we see a critical need to develop a basic science approach to serious illness communication research.

Mind your words: Oncologists' communication that potentially harms patients with advanced cancer: A survey on patient perspectives.

Background: Many complaints in medicine and in advanced illnesses are about communication. Little is known about which specific communications harm. This study explored the perspectives of patients with advanced cancer about potentially harmful communication behaviors by oncologists and helpful alternatives.

Methodological choices in experimental research on medical communication using vignettes: The impact of gender congruence and vignette modality.

Objective: Experimental vignette designs are used to systematically test the effects of medical communication. We tested the impact of two methodological choices -gender congruence and vignette modality- on analogue patient reported outcomes.

Methods: In an online experiment using a vignette portraying an oncological bad news consultation, we manipulated (1) gender congruence between the analogue and the vignette patient, and (2) vignette modality, i.

Towards an open and effective dialogue on complementary medicine in oncology: protocol of patient participatory study 'COMMON'.

Introduction: Approximately half of patients with cancer use some form of complementary medicine alongside conventional cancer treatment. The topic of complementary medicine often remains undiscussed in consultations between patients with cancer and their healthcare providers. This results in increased risks for adverse or interaction effects and decreased access to the benefits of evidence-based complementary medicine for patients with cancer.

Addressing challenges in information-provision: a qualitative study among oncologists and women with advanced breast cancer.

Background: There is a need for more insight into how to address challenges of information-provision for women with advanced breast cancer. We aimed to explore oncologists' and patients' views on (i) the challenges of information-provision, and (ii) possible strategies to address these challenges, meanwhile (iii) exploring the possible facilitating role of positive expectations and empathy.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held with oncologists (n = 10) and women with advanced breast cancer (n = 14).

Health literacy, information provision and satisfaction in advanced cancer consultations: two observational studies using level of education as a proxy.

Objectives: Patients with low health literacy (LHL) might feel less informed and satisfied with provided information than patients with high health literacy (HHL). In the setting of advanced cancer, we explored whether LHL patients, compared with HHL patients are: (1) often less informed, and (2) less satisfied with clinicians' communication (a) in general and (b) following information provision specifically.

Methods: Data from two observational studies using recorded consultations were combined.

Explaining placebo effects in an online survey study: Does 'Pavlov' ring a bell?

Objectives: Despite the increasing knowledge about placebo effects and their beneficial impact on treatment outcomes, strategies that explicitly employ these mechanisms remain scarce. To benefit from placebo effects, it is important to gain better understanding in how individuals want to be informed about placebo effects (for example about the underlying mechanisms that steer placebo effects). The main aim of this study was to investigate placebo information strategies in a general population sample by assessing current placebo knowledge, preferences for different placebo explanations (built around well-known mechanisms involved in placebo effects), and attitudes and acceptability towards the use of placebo effects in treatment.

The power of clinician-expressed empathy to increase information recall in advanced breast cancer care: an observational study in clinical care, exploring the mediating role of anxiety.

Objective: Experimental studies have found that clinician-expressed empathy improves patients' information recall in (advanced) cancer consultations. It remains unclear, however, whether these results are generalizable to clinical care and, if so, what the underlying mechanism is. We aimed to i) determine the relationship between clinician-expressed empathy and patients' information recall in clinical advanced breast cancer consultations; and ii) test whether the relationship between clinician-expressed empathy and recall is mediated by a decrease in patients' anxiety.

Instrumental and affective communication with patients with limited health literacy in the palliative phase of cancer or COPD.

Background: Patients have a 'need to know' (instrumental need) and a 'need to feel known' (affective need). During consultations with patients with limited health literacy (LHL) in the palliative phase of their disease, both the instrumental and the affective communication skills of healthcare providers are important. The study aims to explore instrumental and affective communication between care providers and LHL patients in the palliative phase of COPD or cancer.