Recommendations for improved communication between oncologists and their patients are the focus of a new guideline issued by a panel convened by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
The guideline recommends that oncologists establish care goals with each patient, address the costs of care, and initiate discussion of end-of-life preferences early in the course of incurable disease.
Training programs that emphasize role playing to develop skills, as well as observation and critique of actual patient interactions need to be available to oncologists at every level. Also, patients should be encouraged to discuss their concerns and to participate in deciding what is discussed during each visit, Timothy D. Gilligan, MD , panel cochair, and other panel members recommend in the guideline (J Clin Oncol. 2017 Sep 11. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2017.75.2311 ).
Patients also should be made aware of all treatment options, which may include clinical trials and, for certain patients, palliative care alone, the panel recommended.
The ASCO Expert Panel included medical oncologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and experts in hospice and palliative medicine, communication skills, health disparities, and advocacy. Their consensus-based, patient-clinician communication guideline drew on the panel’s systematic evaluation of guidelines, reviews and meta-analyses, and randomized, controlled trials published from 2006 through Oct. 1, 2016.
More specifics on the guideline are available here and feedback can be provided at asco.org/guidelineswiki .
Dr. Gilligan of the Taussig Cancer Institute and the Center for Excellence in Healthcare Communication, Cleveland Clinic, disclosed support from WellPoint; other panel members disclosed various consultancy roles or funding from pharmaceutical companies and CVS Health.
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