Little is known about the requirements of a comprehensibly written paragraph. This makes it difficult for Dutch secondary school teachers to teach their pupils how to write a paragraph. This... Show moreLittle is known about the requirements of a comprehensibly written paragraph. This makes it difficult for Dutch secondary school teachers to teach their pupils how to write a paragraph. This dissertation presents a rationale that shows which aspects of language are important when writing paragraphs. It is a didactic design study in which declarative knowledge, skills and self-efficacy beliefs were brought together in toolboxes. An important implication of this study is that the paragraph can play a role in the teaching of formulation skills in secondary education. Show less
Water, L.F. van de; Kuijper, S.C.; Henselmans, I.; Alphen, E.N. van; Kooij, E.S.; Calff, M.M.; ... ; Smets, E.M.A. 2023
Background For cancer patients to effectively engage in decision making, they require comprehensive and understandable information regarding treatment options and their associated outcomes. We... Show moreBackground For cancer patients to effectively engage in decision making, they require comprehensive and understandable information regarding treatment options and their associated outcomes. We developed an online prediction tool and supporting communication skills training to assist healthcare providers (HCPs) in this complex task. This study aims to assess the impact of this combined intervention (prediction tool and training) on the communication practices of HCPs when discussing treatment options. Methods We conducted a multicenter intervention trial using a pragmatic stepped wedge design (NCT04232735). Standardized Patient Assessments (simulated consultations) using cases of esophageal and gastric cancer patients, were performed before and after the combined intervention (March 2020 to July 2022). Audio recordings were analyzed using an observational coding scale, rating all utterances of treatment outcome information on the primary outcome-precision of provided outcome information-and on secondary outcomes-such as: personalization, tailoring and use of visualizations. Pre vs. post measurements were compared in order to assess the effect of the intervention. Findings 31 HCPs of 11 different centers in the Netherlands participated. The tool and training significantly affected the precision of the overall communicated treatment outcome information (p = 0.001, median difference 6.93, IQR (-0.32 to 12.44)). In the curative setting, survival information was significantly more precise after the intervention (p = 0.029). In the palliative setting, information about side effects was more precise (p < 0.001). Interpretation A prediction tool and communication skills training for HCPs improves the precision of treatment information on outcomes in simulated consultations. The next step is to examine the effect of such interventions on communication in clinical practice and on patient-reported outcomes. Funding Financial support for this study was provided entirely by a grant from the Dutch Cancer Society (UVA 2014-7000). Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Show less
