Communication Skills Training for Kidney Transplant

(EPPComm Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Heather M Gardiner, PHD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Travel: May Be Covered

Time Reimbursement: Varies

Trial Phase: Academic

Waitlist Available

Sponsor: Temple University

No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand the communication occurring between Black and Caucasian patients and their transplant providers during transplant evaluation consultations and assess relationships between these communicative elements and patient and provider factors, patient-reported outcomes and living donor transplant outcomes - living donor referrals, evaluations, and transplants. We will use these findings to inform the development of a communication skills training for transplant providers and test the impact of the training on providers' communication about live donor kidney transplants with Black and Caucasian patients and living donor transplant outcomes. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How does the use of the use of instrumental, relational and affective communication by patients and providers during the transplant consultation differ by patient and provider factors, patient-reported outcomes and patient ethnicity? * What elements of instrumental, relational and affective communication will be predictive of live donor kidney transplant (LDKT) process outcomes (LD inquiries and evaluations, and actual LDKTs)? Participants will be asked to complete brief surveys before and after the transplant consultation and to give permission for the consultation to be audiorecorded. This data will be used to develop a training to educate providers on the key communication factors predictive of LDKT process outcomes specific to Black and Caucasian patients, and provide guidance on their application during patient consultations. Researchers will then compare communication and patient-reported and LDKT process outcomes between trained and untrained providers to see whether the training has any effect on living donor inquiries and evaluations, and actual LDKTs.

Research Team

Francis Weng, MD

Principal Investigator

St. Barnabas Medical Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Black or Caucasian adults who speak English and are being evaluated for a kidney transplant at specific hospitals. It includes patients with limited English if they use a translator, but not those treated offsite or who've had previous transplants. Transplant team members involved in patient evaluations can also participate unless they decline audio recording of consultations.

Inclusion Criteria

Appear for a kidney transplant evaluation at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) or Temple University Hospital (TUH)

Speak English

Be of self-reported Black or Caucasian ethnicity

Exclusion Criteria

Are already listed for kidney transplant at CBMC or TUHS or at another transplant center

Patients having received an offer to donate a kidney from a family member or friend, or explicitly asked a family member or friend to consider serving as a LD

Adults unable to consent, individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers), prisoners, and individuals who do not understand English

Treatment Details

Interventions

• EPPComm Provider Training (Behavioural Intervention)

Trial Overview The study aims to improve how transplant providers communicate with patients about living donor kidney transplants. It will record consultations, survey participants, and then train providers based on these insights. The effect of this training on the number of living donor inquiries, evaluations, and actual transplants will be measured.

Participant Groups

Group I: EPPCom Provider Training Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

A highly engaging and interactive 60-minute, in-person communication skills training program will be developed as part of this project. Participating transplant providers will complete a brief online survey before (pre) and after (post) participating in the training.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Temple University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

321

Recruited

89,100+

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

Collaborator

Trials

2

Recruited

570+

St. Barnabas Medical Center

Collaborator

Trials

13

Recruited

2,800+