Are we training our fellows adequately in delivering bad news to patients? A survey of hematology/oncology program directors
9023 Background: Medical Oncologists are often in a situation of delivering bad news (dbn). We were interested in the extent of formal training in dbn in Hematology/Oncology fellowships in the United States. Methods: An e-mail survey was conducted of all Hematology/Oncology Program Directors (PDs) in the United States to elicit subjective responses as to the degree of formal training fellows receive in dbn, the adequacy, perceived necessity and quality of this training as well as institutional support provided. The surveys were e- mailed to 124 PDs and responses were received either via e-mail or regular mail. Results: 49 surveys were completed and returned (40% response rate). The majority of programs, 82%, are in an urban setting and 96% of the primary teaching hospitals are considered tertiary care centers. 45% of programs carry an NCI designation; the median number of fellows in a training program is 6, with the range being 3 to 42. 90% of PDs reported that they received little to no formal training in dbn. In contrast, they report that 31% of current fellows receive little to no formal training with 43% receiving some training and additional 26% receiving moderate to extensive training. 36% of PDs felt that formal training is important for skill development in dbn while only 4% did not feel so and an additional 31% felt that some training is useful. 50% of PDs would like to see some improvements in how their fellows are trained and 28% would like to see moderate to extensive improvement. 44% reported little to no institutional support for training while 22% reported moderate to full support. Conclusions: Of the Hematology/Oncology Program Directors who responded to our survey, a large majority did not have formal training in dbn. Despite this lack of training, most PDs felt that some training was useful for skill development in dbn and the majority of today's fellows do receive training in delivering bad news. However, there was still a significant percentage of PDs who reported little or no formal training for fellows and most PDs would still like to see some improvements in how fellows are trained. Specific institutional support for training fellows in dbn remains lacking. No significant financial relationships to disclose.