ABCs ProgramAll Providers Better Communication Skills Program' (ABCs)

High quality, person-centered communication for those living with serious illness benefits patients, families and clinicians. Evidence shows that clinicians rarely engage patients in these, sometimes challenging, discussions. Current education programs to build health care provider competency in serious illness communication are often inconsistent in defined purpose and use of terms. This education also tends to be oriented to treatments, not a person or do not cover the full range of difficult conversations between diagnosis and delivery of end-of-life care.

The ABCs program is an education intervention for health care providers that features a blended format of online modules and interactive virtual workshops, relevant to clinicians at all levels of training and practice. This study will examine the effectiveness of this training (over no training) for impacting provider competency and behavior change in serious illness communication. All participants in this study will receive the full ABCs training, but at different times. The overall intended impact of this program is to improve clinician confidence and satisfaction in having conversations with patients and families about serious illness. The ultimate goal of the ABCs program is to increase access to early palliative care by empowering more providers to initiate this care.