{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T15:45:53Z","timestamp":1787499953165,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]],"date-time":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758672000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health","award":["5M-2019-23680242"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["5M-2019-23680242"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Family meetings (FMs) are clinical encounters in a structured space between the patient, family members, and care teams. Healthcare professionals (HPs) often lack formal training in conducting FMs. The scoping review aims to provide an overview of the available research evidence on FMs\u2019 education for HPs. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus. The PCC (Population-Concept-Context) framework was used to define inclusion criteria: educational intervention on FMs aimed at HPs in all settings of care and students of medicine and nursing sciences treating adult patients with oncological and non-oncological diseases. Results: The search retrieved 1017 articles, of which 26 were eligible. The training had as its primary aims the development of communication skills and curriculum development\/evaluation. For the most part, palliative care physicians served as trainers, while medical students and residents represented a major part of trainees, underscoring a focus on early-career learners. FM training is mainly provided in the American countries and intensive care settings. Role-play or simulation was the most common teaching method. Pre- and post-interventional designs were the most common, with few studies incorporating longitudinal follow-up to assess skill retention. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to evaluate interventions. Conclusions: The training topics are related to advanced communication, but there is a lack of an interprofessional perspective and long-term assessment of the skills learned. It is necessary to consider different family types as subjects of communication.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers17193115","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,25]],"date-time":"2025-09-25T07:46:49Z","timestamp":1758786409000},"page":"3115","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Improving Advanced Communication Skills Towards the Family System: A Scoping Review of Family Meeting Training in Oncology and Other Healthcare Settings"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Sara","family":"Alquati","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Palliative Care Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3627-8691","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Loredana","family":"Buonaccorso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psycho-Oncology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nuria Maria","family":"Asensio Sierra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Sassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Palliative Care Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9190-8668","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Venturelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epidemiology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5418-2837","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Chiara","family":"Bassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Library, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano David","family":"Scialpi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Primary Health Care and Community, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5798-5064","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Tanzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Palliative Care Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70108","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.70108","article-title":"Communication Interventions Targeting Both Patients and Clinicians in Oncology: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","volume":"34","author":"McDarby","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychooncol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1097\/SPC.0000000000000409","article-title":"Communication Skills Training for Healthcare Professionals in Oncology over the Past Decade: A Systematic Review of Reviews","volume":"13","author":"Visser","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr. 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