In all branches of medicine, effective communication between health care professionals and patients, families and carers is essential to ensure first-class treatment. Increasing public awareness of health issues and the ready availability of health information have lead the public to be more widely informed about common conditions and the treatments available. Patients therefore attend a medical consultation better informed so the need for improved communication skills is even greater. This book aims to demystify the 'doctor-patient' relationship in order that patients and potential patients can more easily understand the information which doctors are seeking to convey as well as gaining some insight into the difficulties of communication from a doctor's perspective. Some conversations require specialised skills. Talking to people with difficult personalities and poor social skills can be challenging. Strong emotions of anger, frustration or distress need sensitive handling and particular age groups call on styles of address appropriate to their particular needs. Using the expertise of experienced doctors from many specialties this book covers not only the theory behind good communication skills but also gives a wealth of practical advice. The book covers ethical and legal issues, planning difficult conversations, the patient's and doctor's perspectives, issues surrounding special groups such as children and the elderly, and conversations with patients from different cultural backgrounds. Outlines of possible clinical cases posing specific problems are included with guidance on how to handle them.
Reviews
Difficult Conversations in Medicine is published at an important moment in medical history. Public scrutiny of the physician's ability to communicate is increasing. Public release of patient perception of communication ability, at least at the physician group level, is already occurring... This practical book should be useful to many doctors and other health professionals interested in improving their communication skills and enjoying the beneficial effects of better patient-doctor communication. * Health Expectations No. 8 *
By depicting a wealth of cases and situations that confront physicians - dealing with cancer patients, with the elderly, or apologising to patients - this perceptive, original book offers much practical advice to physicians . . . and proves that communication skills can be taught and learnt . . . An insightful book, which will undoubtedly help health care professionals meet the needs of their patients. * Cancer World *
. . . it is to the editor's credit that she has managed to assemble authors who tackle the subject in an approachable and interesting way . . . There is a wealth of good advice, in many cases well illustrated by specific examples. At the end there is an appendix of transcripts of examples of actual conversations, which is particularly useful and is also a lively read . . . this book is a really useful addition to the published work on communication skills . . . It deserves to be widely read, especially by young doctors but also by students, consultants and GPs, all of whom might be spared sleepless nights mulling over conversations that somehow went wrong. * Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol 98 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198527749
Author Elisabeth Macdonald
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 156mm * 15mm