Helping cancer care teams communicate more empathically to reduce lung cancer stigma
Empathic Communication Skills Training to Reduce Lung Cancer Stigma
This work teaches oncology providers empathic communication skills to help people with lung cancer feel less stigmatized during clinical care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11189612 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project trains oncology care providers in empathic communication, especially around difficult topics like smoking history. You would be cared for at one of 16 participating lung cancer clinics where providers are randomly assigned to get the training now or later. Researchers will compare patient reports of stigma, psychological well-being, and some medical outcomes between the groups over time. The effort builds on a smaller earlier trial that showed promising results.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with lung cancer who receive care from participating oncology providers at one of the study’s sites are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without lung cancer, or those receiving care outside the participating clinics or whose providers do not receive the training, are unlikely to experience direct benefit from this trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this training could help patients feel less blamed or judged, improving mental health and possibly medical care adherence and outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: A prior smaller R21 trial showed favorable findings for this empathic communication approach, but this larger national trial will test its effectiveness more rigorously.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Banerjee, Smita — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Banerjee, Smita
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.