The importance of communication in clinical research

I think I finally have the Association of Clinical Research Professionals convinced about the importance of communication in clinical research. I had the privilege to present at the conference for the second time last week in Seattle. When submitting my proposals the last 2 years, I had to somehow fit my passion for communication in clinical research into one of ACRP's educational categories that didn't quite fit. I have submitted under the "ethics in clinical research" and "clinical research education" categories, but neither really acknowledged the important role of communication in this field. I knew how important effective communication behaviors and techniques are to things like effective informed consent and productive team management, but I wanted a platform to share my experience and expertise with my colleagues. My proposals were accepted but I felt like a bit of an oddball at a conference very concerned with government and clinical regulations. But this year we seem to have had a breakthrough. I had a great turnout and great discussion in my session on using communication theory to improve informed consent. The discussion both in and out of the session was robust. Attendees seemed eager to learn practical tools for integrating better communication processes in the clinical research world.

But more than my presentation, I've seen more presentations and discussion about the role of communication in both the management and execution of clinical research trials. So much so, that in the call for proposals for the ACRP 2012 conference, ACRP has suggested the category "communication in clinical research." I am excited to be a part of the growing interest in this field. And I will definitely be in Houston in 2012!

Communication research and education in 2011

2010 was a productive year for both my own research efforts and the research efforts of my multi-disciplinary team. 2011 holds just as much promise for exciting research projects.

On my list for 2011:

Informed consent: I am working on proposals for several projects exploring the role of communication in informed consent discussions. Informed consent is important to both health care and clinical research. Patients and potential research subjects are dependent on informed consent discussions and documents to educate and inform them about the risks and benefits of procedures, so that they may make an informed decision. But if they do not understand what is discussed, their consent cannot be truly informed. There is great potential for improved communication to facilitate informed consent.

Working in multi-disciplinary teams: I had the opportunity this year to speak to several different groups about communication in multi-disciplinary teams. This year, I will be expanding the topic to explore the specific task of coordinating the writing of scientific papers when working and communicating with multi-disciplinary research teams.

Communication theory: Once again, I will have the opportunity to teach an Introduction to Communication class at Marquette University. Though I am primarily a researcher, I value the opportunity to get into the classroom and introduce students to the complexity and possibilities in the field of communication. I get energy to continue with my research when exploring the basics of communication with students. I look forward to what this year's students will teach me.

2011 should be busy, but it is rewarding to keep moving forward in my field and to share my knowledge along the way.

Communication theory in the informed consent process

I learned so much from the ACRP Global Conference in Tampa last month that I am already making plans for what I want to present at next year's conference (and the fact that ACRP 2011 is in Seattle is extra motivation). I realized that I bring a particular skill set to the clinical research educational setting: my background in communication theory. I was not the only presenter who discussed communication at the ACRP 2010 conference. Several other speakers focused more on the soft communication skills, but I saw a need for a discussion of how communication theory can inform the most important conversation that takes place in the research encounter: the informed consent.

One of the theories I am going to integrate into my presentation next year is Uses and Gratifications Theory. The theory is usually used in studies of people's media use and habits, but I believe it is an important consideration when having an informed consent conversation. It is tempting for research staff to think of potential research participants as empty vessels waiting to be filled with information. But every potential participant brings their own agenda to the conversation and will seek, find and attend to selected information. It is a valuable piece of information to consider when informing potential participants about participating in a particular study. I look forward to the opportunity to bring communication theory into the research professionals conversation.

Should patients be told where they can get better care?

PLoS (Public Library of Science) Medicine published an article this week debating whether informed consent procedures for cancer treatment should include discussions about hospital outcome disparities. Hospitals that perform procedures more often have better treatment outcomes. Should a physician offer that information, even if it means sending a patient to another facility and another physician? Does expecting doctors to offer this information create a conflict of interest?

You can find the PLoS article here.

And a New York Times article about the debate here.