Training programs in communication skills for healthcare professionals caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families: A systematic review of healthcare professionals’ behavioral impact and children’s health outcomes

Abstract

Background:

Effective communication has potential benefits for children, their families, and healthcare professionals. Although communication skills training programs are essential for healthcare professionals, their effects remain unclear.

Aim:

This review summarized existing communication skills training programs and evaluated their impact on healthcare professionals’ behavior and the health outcomes of children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

Design:

This systematic review was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook version 6.4.

Data sources:

On January 21, 2024, we searched the following databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. The included studies’ risk of bias was assessed using a revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized controlled trials 2. Owing to insufficient data and high heterogeneity, we could not perform a meta-analysis, so the findings were described narratively.

Results:

We identified nine studies, which included various diseases, training programs, and outcome measurement tools and timings. Among the nine studies, five of the six studies that assessed healthcare professionals’ behaviors reported that the interventions had improved them (low certainty of evidence). Only two studies reported on the quality of life and anxiety experienced by children and their families, with no clear difference between intervention and control groups.

Conclusions:

Communication skills training for healthcare professionals may improve their behaviors toward children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Measurement tools and timings must be standardized. Future research should develop training programs and assess their impact on children and their families, incorporating the perspective of children.