Difficult Conversations in Medicine
Published on 9. September 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-19-852774-9 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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 / Votes
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 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Undergraduate medical students, junior doctors, family doctors
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
395 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-852774-9 (9780198527749)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Edited by ELIZABETH MACDONALD, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Cromwell Hospital, London and Consultant Emeritus, Guy's & St Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK
Content
Introduction ; 1. An introduction to basics ; 2. Fundamentals of good communication ; 3. The ethics of communication ; 4. Overall plan of management of difficult conversations ; 5. The patient's perspective ; 6. The doctor's perspective ; 7. Dealing with strong emotions and difficult personalities ; 8. Difficult conversations with children and parents ; 9. Special adult groups ; 10. Difficult practical circumstances ; 11. Communication in a multiprofessional setting ; 12. Communication in a multicultural society ; 13. Apologies in clinical medicine ; 14. Legal constraints and guidelines to good practice ; 15. Maintaining a balance ; 16. Conclusions and future directions ; Appendix I: Transcripts of useful illustrative conversations ; Appendix II: A curriculum for communication in medical education