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Clinical trial Recruiting at 2 sites Interventional Ages 18 and up

All Providers Better Communication Skills Program (ABCs)

Official title: All Providers Better Communication Skills Program' (ABCs) Interprofessional Provider Education Randomized Controlled Trial

Run by McMaster University · NCT06606470 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This program will test whether a blended online and virtual workshop training (ABCs) helps healthcare providers improve their serious-illness communication skills.

Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
Enrollment350 (estimated)
SponsorMcMaster University
Academic / other
Locations2 sites (Hamilton, Ontario and 1 other locations)
StatusRecruiting
StartedSeptember 23, 2024
Main results expectedDecember 31, 2026
Study endsJanuary 30, 2027
Registry record updatedJanuary 16, 2026
Trial IDNCT06606470 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal participants are healthcare workers of any role who provide care or care coordination, including clinicians, care coordinators, and administrators interested in improving serious-illness communication.

Probably not a fit

People who are not working in a healthcare provision capacity (including patients and non-clinical members of the public) are not eligible and would not benefit from participating.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

High-quality, person-centered communication for people with serious illness benefits patients, families, and clinicians, yet clinicians often lack consistent training. The ABCs program is an interprofessional education intervention delivered in a blended format of five asynchronous online modules and three synchronous interactive virtual workshops. The study compares providers who receive the ABCs training with those who receive no training and measures changes in competency and observable communication behavior. Outcomes include performance-based measures (such as OSCE-type assessments) and self-reported competency and comfort with serious-illness conversations.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help clinicians have earlier, clearer, and more person-centered conversations with seriously ill patients, potentially improving symptom management and alignment of care with patient goals.

How similar studies have gone: Previous clinician communication-training programs have demonstrated improvements in communication skills and comfort, though prior programs have varied in content and consistency.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

All individuals that work in a health care provision capacity including health care professionals, care coordinators and administrators are eligible to enroll and participate in the ABCs study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals, including patients, that do not work in a health care provision capacity.

Where it's running

  • McMaster University
    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada     Recruiting
  • McMaster University
    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada     Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.