Communication for clinicians

Our Victorian Cancer Clinicians Communication Program (VCCCP) provides cancer clinicians with evidence-based communication skills to use when discussing cancer issues with patients, carers and family.

Cancer and its treatments can affect every aspect of a person, including their physical and emotional states, and their relationships with partners, family, friends and colleagues. With training, clinicians can improve communications skills and help create a more comfortable environment to discuss cancer issues at any stage throughout the treatment journey.

Workshops

The communication skills workshops are run for half a day, delivered in the workplace by VCCCP facilitators to a maximum of 10 participants. Workshops are tailored to the group's needs. The use of trained actors ensures participants can practise their skills in a safe environment that resembles a real-life situation.

Training programs

How to deliver bad news to cancer patients and their families Delivering bad news is stressful for all involved: patients, families and clinicians. This workshop is designed to help reduce the anxiety and provides evidence-based communications skills on how to deliver bad news.

Sponsored by:

Discussing sexuality with cancer patients, their family and friends Cancer and its treatments can profoundly affect a person’s sexuality, including their body image, sexual functioning, relationships, identity and self-esteem. Although most clinicians can talk easily to patients about the technical aspects of cancer treatment and care, discussing the effects of cancer on sexuality can be difficult. This workshop will outline the latest evidence on how to effectively communicate with patients regarding sexuality.

Sponsored by:

 

Discussing the transition to palliative care with cancer patients, their family and friends

Many people find the transition to palliative care a stressful experience. This workshop covers the four important aspects of discussing the transition to palliative care:

• Diagnosis of advanced, incurable disease
• Treatment with palliative intent
• End of anti-cancer treatment
• Referral to palliative care 

Effectively discussing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with cancer patients their families and friends

The prevalence of CAM use has risen in recent years with the vast majority of  people with  cancer use CAM in conjunction with conventional cancer treatment. Despite this, research shows health professionals do not always  discuss CAM appropriately with their patients. This workshop is designed to provide evidence-based  communication skills to use when  discussing complementary and alternative medicine.

Eliciting and responding to emotional cues

Psychological distress is common in cancer patients. This workshop will enable health professionals to explore barriers to responding to emotional cues. It will cover four common emotional reactions that cancer patients can experience:  anxiety, anger, depression and distress.

 

Training to become a facilitator of the VCCCP 

This two-day training program enables clinicians to deliver VCCCP workshops to their peers. Facilitators are trained in small groups and work in pairs to deliver the workshop. The pairs consist of one person with a medical background and one with a psychology background (e.g. a surgeon or medical oncologist and a clinical psychologist).

The workshop process and content is evidence-based and our facilitators are fully supported by The Cancer Council Victoria. 

Enquiries

For more information, please call the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20.