Clinical communication skills

Includes bibliographical references (p. [290]-318) and indexThis is a book about patient care. It emphasizes the importance of good communications as an implicit and necessary component of care in clinical practice, and advocates a mutually negotiated and open style of communication. Focusing on the needs of both adults and children, this book contains specific recommendations for communication approaches relating to questioning styles, giving information, handling difficult questions, and breaking bad news. Theoretical issues are also addressed and many clinical situations (such as pain, cancer and terminal illness) are included for illustration purposespublished_or_final_versionPrefaceReferences p299Index p319Ch. 1 Why Communication Skills? p1Ch. 2 Basic Psychological Processes in Communication p13Ch. 3 Illness Behaviour and Coping With Illness p29Ch. 4 Components of Communication p49Ch. 5 Starting the Interview p63Ch. 6 Listening and Questioning p79Ch. 7 Guiding the Interview p103Ch. 8 Feelings: Your Own and Your Patient's p121Ch. 9 Exposition: Giving Information to Patients p141Ch. 10 Handling Difficult Questions p165Ch. 11 Breaking Bad News p189Ch. 12 Pain and Communications With the Dying p229Ch. 13 Communications With Other Health Workers and Related Issues p267Ch. 14 Concluding Remarks p29