A randomized controlled trial of communication training with primary care providers to improve patient-centeredness and health risk communication

Objective: To determine the efficacy and effectiveness of training to improve primary care providers' patient-centered communication skills and proficiency in discussing their patients' health risks. Methods: Twenty-eight primary care providers participated in a baseline simulated patient interaction and were subsequently randomized into intervention and control groups. Intervention providers participated in training focused on patient-centered communication about behavioral risk factors. Immediate efficacy of training was evaluated by comparing the two groups. Over the next 3 years, all providers participated in two more sets of interactions with patients. Longer term effectiveness was assessed using the interaction data collected at 6 and 18 months post-training. Results: The intervention providers significantly improved in patient-centered communication and communication proficiencies immediately post-training and at both follow-up time points. Conclusions: This study suggests that the brief training produced significant and large differences in the intervention group providers which persisted 2 years after the training. Practice implications: The results of this study suggest that primary care providers can be trained to achieve and maintain gains in patient-centered communication, communication skills and discussion of adverse childhood events as root causes of chronic disease.