Sharing COMFORT Communication Training With Healthcare Professionals in Nairobi, Kenya: A Pilot Webinar Series.

BACKGROUND: Communication training for healthcare providers is evident in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic, however training opportunities are not available in countries with limited resources. OBJECTIVES: To investigate perceived comfort in communication about end-of-life and palliative care among healthcare providers in Nairobi, Kenya and to evaluate a pilot webinar-based communication training series. METHODS: Through a partnership with a research hospital in Nairobi, healthcare providers engaged an online survey to assess perceived comfort in communication and prior educational training in communication. The COMFORT communication model was used to develop and pilot a webinar-based communication training series to meet training needs. Pre-post measures of comfort in communication and post-curriculum evaluation were used to evaluate the webinars. RESULTS: Survey findings from 94 healthcare providers demonstrated that communication training is most needed when patient/family culture is different from provider. Physicians reported less comfort in communication than nurses and other professionals, especially in communication with family about spiritual or religious concerns. Nurses reported more overall training in palliative care communication topics than physicians and other disciplines. The 3-part webinar series increased communication comfort for physicians and nurses, was highly rated, and participants reported that they would recommend COMFORT webinar training to colleagues. CONCLUSION: Webinar-based platforms for communication training show promise for meeting communication training needs of healthcare providers.

Collective caregivers: A novel examination of health literacy management approaches.

OBJECTIVE: Health literacy and communication skills are necessary for family caregivers who often work in pairs, known as collective caregiving. Health literacy management is a relational process where communication between caregivers can be a barrier or pathway to improving or co-creating health literacy. The purpose of this study was to examine how collective caregivers manage health literacy. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted separately for 42 caregiving pairs (n = 84). The interview guide was developed using a cancer caregiver health literacy framework. Caregiving pairs were placed into one of three collective caregiving communication patterns (absolute concordant, semi-concordant, absolute discordant). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and a thematic analysis was performed by independent coders. RESULTS: The analysis revealed three different health literacy management approaches: a defined approach where caregiver roles were clearly designated (absolute concordant pairs); a contrasting approach where one caregiver was the health literacy expert (semi-concordant pairs); an independent approach characterized by individual information seeking, processing, and patient/provider engagement (absolute discordant pairs). CONCLUSIONS: Health literacy support should address aspects of the family system such as caregiver-caregiver communication which influence variance in health literacy management. Practice implications Our study can inform provider communication and healthcare interventions aimed at supporting health literacy for caregivers.

Communication and Competencies Across Undergraduate BSN Programs and Curricula.

BACKGROUND: An investigation was conducted to assess for and describe health communication instruction in entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) programs. METHOD: This cross-sectional descriptive study examined entry-level baccalaureate degree nursing programs in the United States. A three-step process was used: (1) online survey of directors of BSN programs, (2) online survey of simulation directors, and (3) analysis of course titles and descriptions. RESULTS: Communication instruction remains primarily knowledge-based rather than skills-based. The findings of this study confirm there is ambiguity in defining the scope of communication instruction across curricula, as well as radical differences in the inclusion of communication in course descriptions and content. CONCLUSION: There is a need for clear definition of the scope of health communication skill development across BSN programs for communication behaviors to be measured and competency to be determined. A knowledge-building approach to communication instruction does not align with new plans for competency-based nursing education. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(11):618-624.].