Development and Formative Evaluation of a Communication Skills Training Program for Persons with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases

ABSTRACT

Objective: Our aim was to develop and evaluate a two-module training program (KOKOS-Rheuma) specifically designed to enhance the ability of persons with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases to communicate in various everyday situations.

Design: KOKOS-Rheuma deals with communication at work (particularly superiors), with physicians, acquaintances, strangers and staff members of authorities and institutions and focuses on communication skills such as “saying no” and “giving and receiving feedback.” Members of the German League against Rheumatism (GLR) were trained to deliver the program to self-help groups over two sessions or in a full-day session. The participants, trainers and observers completed a short evaluation form after each module or at the end of the full-day session.

Main Outcome Measures: The evaluation was based on 232 participant, 51 trainer, and 8 observer evaluation forms.

Results: The participants rated all aspects of the training as good. The training was rated higher in the single session format. The great majority would recommend the course to other people.

Conclusion: After the revision of the training manual, KOKOS-Rheuma can be recommended for inclusion in the training schedule of the GLR. We recommend that future trainers receive more extensive preparation for delivering the course that highlights the preparation time required.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank our other patient research partners Regina Chojnacki, Ute Garske, and Irina Kimmerle. We also thank the members of the German League Against Rheumatism who participated as trainers and training participants in our study.

Notes

¹ One trainer was not able to attend the TTT course and three persons who attended a TTT course did not deliver a KOKOS-Rheuma course.

² Percentages are valid percentages.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Deutsche Rheuma-Liga Bundesverband e.V. (German League against Rheumatism) as a participatory research project. Four members of the GLR were involved in the project as patient research partners.