Communicating with patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: can we do it better?

Communications between clinicians and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have the potential to be challenging. The variable course and poor prognosis of IPF complicate discussions around life expectancy but should not prevent clinicians from having meaningful conversations about patients' fears and needs, while acknowledging uncertainties. Patients want information about the course of their disease and management options, but the provision of information needs to be individualised to the needs and preferences of the patient.

Attitudes and Beliefs About Medical Usefulness and Legalization of Marijuana among Cancer Patients in a Legalized and a Nonlegalized State.

There is a growing preference for the use of marijuana for medical purposes, despite limited evidence regarding its benefits and potential safety risks. Legalization status may play a role in the attitudes and preferences toward medical marijuana (MM). The attitudes and beliefs of cancer patients in a legalized (Arizona) versus nonlegalized state (Texas) regarding medical and recreational legalization and medical usefulness of marijuana were compared.

Review of the patient-centered communication landscape in multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies.

Objectives: To identify factors limiting and facilitating patient-centered communication (PCC) in the United States hematology-oncology setting, with a focus on multiple myeloma (MM), given the limited attention to PCC and rapid pace of change that has taken place in this setting.

Methods: A literature search was performed from 2007 to 2017 to identify published articles and congress abstracts related to clinician-patient communication and treatment decision-making in oncology. Search results were evaluated by year of publication and disease area.

Integrating Storytelling into a Communication Skills Teaching Program for Medical Oncology Fellows.

Oncology training focuses primarily on biomedical content rather than psychosocial content, which is not surprising in light of the enormous volume of technical information that oncology fellows assimilate in a short time. Nonetheless, the human connection, and specifically communication skills, remains as important as ever in caring for highly vulnerable patients with cancer. We previously described a year-long communication skills curriculum for oncology fellows that consisted of monthly 1-hour seminars with role play as the predominant teaching method (Epner and Baile, Acad Med.