Beschreibung:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective</jats:title><jats:p>To evaluate the effect of a specific communication training for neurologists on how to provide complex information about treatment options to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design</jats:title><jats:p>Single-centre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Setting</jats:title><jats:p>One university hospital in Norway.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Participants</jats:title><jats:p>Thirty-four patients with early-stage MS.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Intervention</jats:title><jats:p>A 3-hour training for neurologists on how to provide complex information about MS escalation therapy.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Main outcome measures</jats:title><jats:p>Patient recall rate, measured with a reliable counting system of provided and recalled information about drugs.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Secondary outcome measures</jats:title><jats:p>Number of information units provided by the physicians. Effects on patient involvement through questionnaires.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Patients with MS were instructed to imagine a disease development and were randomised and blinded to meet a physician to receive information on escalation therapy, before or after the physician had participated in a 3-hour training on how to provide complex information. Consultations and immediate patient recall interviews were video-recorded and transcribed verbatim.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Patient recall rate was 0.37 (SD=0.10) pre-intervention and 0.39 (SD=0.10) post-intervention. The effect of the intervention on recall rate predicted with a general linear model covariate was not significant (coefficient parameter 0.07 (SE 0.04, 95% CI (−0.01 to 0.15)), p=0.099).</jats:p><jats:p>The physicians tended to provide significantly fewer information units after the training, with an average of 91.0 (SD=30.3) pre-intervention and 76.5 (SD=17.4) post-intervention; coefficient parameter −0.09 (SE 0.02, 95% CI (−0.13 to −0.05)), p<0.001. There was a significant negative association between the amount of provided information and the recall rate (coefficient parameter −0.29 (SE 0.05, 95% CI (−0.39 to −0.18)), p<0.001). We found no significant effects on patient involvement using the Control Preference Scale, Collaborate or Four Habits Patient Questionnaire.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>A brief course for physicians on providing complex information reduced the amount of information provided, but did not improve patient recall rate.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Trial registration number</jats:title><jats:p><jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="ISRCTN42739508">ISRCTN42739508</jats:ext-link>.</jats:p></jats:sec>