Breaking bad news to patients with cancer: A randomized control trial of a brief communication skills training module incorporating the stories and preferences of actual patients.

•We interviewed patients with cancer to learn about their communication experiences.•We created/tested a breaking bad news (BBN) communication skills training module.•The brief training module used video-recorded segments from our patient interviews.•Intervention group students and residents significantly improved their BBN skills.•Health education programs could use this to improve communication and patient care.