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Recent research on patient-physician communication near the end of life has focused particularly on the role of palliative care consultation (NEJM JW Gen Med May 1 2017 and J Clin Oncol 2017; 35:834). In contrast, researchers now have examined an intervention to enhance communication between oncologists and patients. Participants were 38 oncologists and 265 of their patients with stage III or IV nonhematologic cancer; patients were eligible if their oncologists said they “would not be surprised” if the patient died within 12 months.
Half the oncologists (the intervention group) received two training sessions that addressed four communication domains: (1) engaging patients to be active participants in their care, (2) responding to patients' e…