Improving patient education by an in-service communication training for health care providers at a cancer ward: communication climate, patient satisfaction and the need of lasting implementation.

Objective: To show the effects of an in-service communication training for health care providers at a cancer ward, to improve the quality and quantity of the patient education, and patient satisfaction with the care received.

Methods: A 3-year in-service communication training was held at a cancer ward. Pre- and post-data were collected about the quality and quantity of the communication of nurses, physicians and other health care providers (HCPs) towards patients and colleagues (n=22) as well as the satisfaction of the patients with the quality of care (n=90).

Results: The communication training raised significantly the quality and quantity of the communication towards patients and with colleagues. Also patient satisfaction with the quality of care increased. However, the long-term implementation of the benefits was proved disappointing.

Conclusion: In-service communication training is an important means for the long-term improvement of the quality of patient education at nursing departments in hospitals. Lasting implementation of the benefits however requires attention to organizational obstacles, budgetary conditions, leadership factors at the ward, and the application of an organizationally oriented theoretical framework.

Practice Implications: Improvement of patient education at nursing wards does not only require educational means, organizational facilities and professional training, but can be improved too by in-service communication training, which increases the quality of the patient-centered care. An organizational oriented change-strategy is needed to ensure the implementation produces lasting effects.