Let’s Talk: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Cancer Survivors

This simulation provides a safe and responsive learning environment for providers to practice effective communication techniques for discussing nutrition, physical activity, and obesity risk with people who have cancer now or had cancer in the past. This training helps providers to be more confident in starting these conversations, and in recommending ways to keep a healthy weight and be physically active.

Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based clinical method for identifying and building motivation to make healthy choices and engage in healthy behaviors. Motivational interviewing skills help clinicians—

• Build healthy relationships with patients.
• Explore patients’ needs, values, and preferences.
• Respond with empathy.
• Personalize and share information.
• Collaborate on making decisions.
• Empower patients to achieve their goals.

The simulation allows learners to enter a virtual environment and engage in role-play conversations with emotionally-responsive virtual humans. Through practice and receiving personalized feedback, users learn and assess their ability to have similar conversations in real life.