HEARSAY is a highly interactive workshop which focuses on challenging areas of communication HCPs have with patients in the metastatic setting. The workshop does not make definitive judgements as to what is the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way in which to communicate, rather to permit delegates to query the ways in which they say the things that they do and to consider more flexible approaches.

The annual BSMS Inclusion Health session returns 9.30am-4.00pm on Friday 13th June 2024. This event will focus on the challenges faced when addressing the health and support needs of people in the Inclusion Health groups. We will hear from a wide range of speakers, including those with lived experience, those undertaking research, and those designing and delivering services.

SHORE-C have a well-established track record in teaching communication skills and in the development and evaluation of intensive workshop materials. We designed and successfully evaluated our TARGET (Talking About Risk in the Context of Genomic Tests) educational programme with clinicians (Fallowfield et al 2019), which we also adapted for use in workshops for nurses (Fallowfield et al 2020). The programmes cover how to best present risk and uncertainty to patients in the context of risk of recurrence results from different genomic tests and managing challenging questions from patients.

These small group workshops are led by experienced facilitators. There are calls to offer genetic testing to all patients with breast cancer. Many clinicians and nurses are not experienced in genetic testing and many genetic counsellors are not experienced in oncology. All HCPs nevertheless may be faced with challenging communication about genetic risk with patients and their relatives. The TRUSTING educational programme aims to help all HCPs with these difficult conversations. The content of the workshops was developed following literature reviews, interviews with patients and families, geneticists, genetic counsellors, surgeons and oncologists. Participants will follow the on-screen interactions between different HCPs and a fictitious family.