Product Description

Skills for Communicating with Patients, Second Edition is one of two companion books on improving communication in medicine which together provide a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning communication skills throughout all levels of medical education and in both specialist and family medicine. Since their publication, the first edition of this book and its companion, Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Medicine, have become established standard texts in communication skills teaching throughout the world, 'the first entirely evidence-based textbooks on medical interviewing'. This substantially expanded second edition has been fully updated in relation to the current research literature and revised to reflect recent developments in theoretical and conceptual approaches to communication. It explores in detail the specific skills of doctor-patient communication and provides comprehensive evidence of the improvement that those skills can make to health outcome and everyday clinical practice. It is unique in providing a secure platform of core skills which represent the foundations of doctor-patient communication in every circumstance. It is essential reading for learners at all levels (whether medical students, residents or established practitioners) and for facilitators and programme directors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64539 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 262 pages

Review
"This is in the first rank of books because it is comprehensive, humane in tone, and especially because it is scholarly. All of its readers, from novices to experts, will go away with new knowledge and will have enjoyed themselves as they gained it" ; --Frederic W Platt in his Foreword

"These books have quickly found a global readership, and now there are second editions of both books. The updating of the literature alone would have made these new editions welcome, but the authors have gone further. These books are small investment for a potentially large improvement" --Jan van Dalen in his Foreword

Customer Reviews

A comprehesive review of the communication skills literarure
These two books provide a comprehensive approach to improving communication between doctors and patients through all levels of medical education. They take an evidence based approach which will finally lay to rest the myth that communication cannot be taught. The material presented is carefully documented from research. The books are the result of a collaboration between two general practitioners and a Professor of Communication from Canada.

The first book, Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Medicine, describes how to construct a communication skills curriculum and explores the teaching and learning methods that may be employed. The second book, Skills for Communicating with Patients, examines how these skills are used in the medical interview and also provides evidence of improvements to practice and to health outcomes. The authors identify parallels between effective teaching and effective clinical communication. They point out how helpful it is for clinical communication teachers from a medical background to realise that the skills that they need to understand how to communicate effectively with patients, are the same as those they need for facilitating learners. A central part of the second book is the Calgary-Cambridge observation guide which is a highly structured framework for analysing consultations. The structure proposed for the consultation is based on five areas:

Initiating Gathering Information Building the Relationship

Explanation and Planning Closing the Session The books cover many useful areas such as giving feedback, assessment, developing a programme; however for some the structured approach it advocates may be inhibiting.

These books fill a gap in the market in that they cover what to teach, how to teach and the training required for facilitators. I would recommend all of you who are interested in teaching, or improving, your own communication skills to take a look at these books.

This book changed my life
Until this book was published, there was no way for a doctor to ensure the effective development of his or her communication skills. This book quite literally has changed that.

It simply lists all the describable micro skills of doctors talking with and listening to patients. The masterstroke is to link the skills to the reaserch evidence of their effectiveness.

Now we know which skills to deploy with patients and we know why it matters.

Link this to an effective teaching and learning method (e.g. see the companion volume "Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Medicine") and you are off on a lifelong journey of effective skill development.

The style is a little dry but then so is the bible in places. It is packed with accurately researched references. All we need is an updated edition - but none of this has gone out of date.

This book is so good I formed a company on the basis of it.