World Health Organization : Year 1993 ; World Health Organization, Mental Health Psf, No. 93.11: Doctor-Patient Interaction and Communication

By Julian Bird

Book Id: WPLBN0000105020
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 1.86 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	World Health Organization : Year 1993 ; World Health Organization, Mental Health Psf, No. 93.11: Doctor-Patient Interaction and Communication
Author:	Julian Bird
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Health., Public health, Wellness programs
Collections:	Medical Library Collection, World Health Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	World Health Organization


Citation APA MLA Chicago Bird, B. J. (n.d.). World Health Organization : Year 1993 ; World Health Organization, Mental Health Psf, No. 93.11. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Medical Reference Publication

Excerpt
DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION: THE CORNERSTONE OF GOOD MEDICAL PRACTICE There has been much recognition in recent years of the need to include communication and other interactional skills training in medical school curricula1. In a consensus statement on communication skills teaching in Canadian medical schools, doctor-patient communication is described as an integral component of quality medical care (see Appendix 6). Holte (1990) described communication as the most imponant method for primary health care practitioners. Good doctor-patient communication has been described as the cornerstone of good medical practice (Doherty er al. 1990). This may well be the case considering the research findings that 60-SO% of medical diagnosis are made on the basis of information arising from the medical interview alone, as are a similar proportion of treatment decisions (nampton er al. 1975, Sandler 1980). ?he basis of the medical interview is communication and the medical interview is itself the basis of medical practice.

Table of Contents
CONTENTS Doctor-patient communication: the cornerstone of good medical practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Effective communication is an integral part of diagnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Better communication enhances patient compliance to treatment plans . . . . . . . . 1 Effective communication conaibutes to doctor clinical competence and self assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Effective communication contributes to patient satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Effective communication may contribute to cost and resource effectiveness .... 3 Communication skills training can give rise to institutional gains . . . . . . . . . . . Do doctors communicate effectively? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Why invest in cornmunicafion skills training? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Communication skills training: a small investment with great potential gains . . . 4 The feasibility of communication skills training has been widely demonstrated . . 4 cCoommrmnuunn.~i ccaat.ni oonn s skkiillllss t.ra.i.n.in.g. h.a.s. b.e.e.n. s.h.o.w.n. t.o. i.m.p.r.o.ve. .d.o.ct.o.rs.' . . . . . . . . . . 5 The content of communication skills training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . 6 What should be taught in communication skills training? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Core communication skiUs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . 6 Advanced communication skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Core communication skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Doctor-patient interpersonal skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Appropriate physical environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Greetingpatients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Active listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Empathy. respect. interest. warmth and support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Non-verbal communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Collaborative relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Closing the interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Information gathering skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Using an appropriate balance of open to closed questions . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Silence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Clarifying patient expectations about the consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Clarifying the information given by the patient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sequencing of events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Directing the flow of informarion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 . . Summar~zrng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Information yiving skills and patient education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . 10