HOLA communication training for oncologists to strengthen relationships with Latino/a advanced cancer patients

The patient-clinician relationship is fundamental to providing high-quality patient-centered medical care. A therapeutic alliance (TA) is a patient clinician relationship that is characterized by mutual caring, trust, understanding, and respect. A strong TA between oncologists and patients with advanced cancer is associated with several positive health outcomes for patients and caregivers. However, previous work showed a stark disparity in the TA for Latino/a patients with advanced cancer vs. non-Latino/a white patients. The overall objective of this study is to pilot the Heightening Oncologist-Latino/a cancer patient Alliances (HOLA) intervention to assess its feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness, and the preliminary efficacy of the intervention's impact on the TA between oncologists and their Latino/a patients with advanced cancer. The HOLA intervention will teach oncologists specific evidence based skills and behaviors for promoting a TA with Latino/a advanced cancer patients through the integration of patient-centered communication techniques that are aligned with Latino/a cultural values via commonly encountered clinical scenarios. The investigators will pilot test the HOLA intervention with eight oncologists and 32 of their patients, half (n=16 patients) who are under the care of an oncologist who will be randomized to receive the TA intervention (n=4 oncologists), and half (n=16 patients) who are under the care of an oncologist (n=4 oncologists) who was randomized to usual care. The feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention will be assessed using standard measures. Preliminary efficacy will be determined by comparing the mean TA scores for the oncologists who were randomized to receive the intervention to the mean TA scores for the oncologists who were randomized to usual care.