Table 2 Intervention description of component 2: additional training on patient communication skills for GPs—optional (according to TIDieR)

1 Short Name

Additional training for GPs to promote patient-centred communication

2 Goal and rationale

Exploration of individual patient expectations, concepts of disease and barriers in the process of shared decision making in patients with poorly controlled diabetes type 2

3 Materials

Theoretical input on narrative-based communication, group training on practical use of these skills, computer-based decision-aid arriba-debate

4 Procedures

Introduction of theoretical background on narrative-based communication (incl. three-step-conversation). Group training sessions (max. 3–4 participants) under considerations of personal experiences and defaulted roles. The issues of the sequences differed, starting with a low-threshold one (e.g. vacation), followed by the experience of an in-acute disease (e.g. cold), ending with a practical oriented issue (e.g. GP as protagonist in the practice). Roles were changed after every session (narrator, asker, observer) to give all participants the opportunity to slip in each role. Subsequently, feedback about the practical implementation was given and discussion about transferability in daily routine was carried out

Finally, the computer-based decision-aid tool arriba-debate and its use in daily routine in the GP-practice was discussed

5 Providers of intervention

The training was performed by qualified scientific researchers of the study sites in Rostock, Düsseldorf and Witten

6 Mode of delivery

Single intervention

10 out of the 54 GPs in the intervention group of DEBATE

7 Location

The training was performed in two of the study sites

Total of five trainings with altogether 10 GPs were performed

8 Frequency

Each training lasted about 3 h

9 Planned tailoring

No

10 Fidelity enhancement