Communication as a clinical skill: a challenge in the delivery of safe and effective patient care
Sarah J. White A B and Veronica Preda AA Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. Email: veronica.preda@mq.edu.au
B Corresponding author. Email: sarah.white@mq.edu.au
Australian Health Review 46(1) 62-63 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH21082
Submitted: 25 March 2021 Accepted: 13 September 2021 Published: 11 November 2021
Abstract
Communication in clinical practice has been the focus of linguistic, psychological, and sociological research for half a century, yet there is still so little emphasis on using that research to improve communication in practice. In this article, we urge for a repositioning of communication as a clinical skill, along with a stronger reliance on communication research evidence and collaboration with experts in studying and teaching these skills.
References
[1] Duffy FD, Gordon GH, Whelan G, Cole-Kelly K, Frankel R, et al Assessing Competence in Communication and Interpersonal Skills: The Kalamazoo II Report. Acad Med 2004; 79 495–507.| Assessing Competence in Communication and Interpersonal Skills: The Kalamazoo II Report.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15165967PubMed |
[2] Hagihara A, Tarumi K. Doctor and patient perceptions of the level of doctor explanation and quality of patient-doctor communication. Scand J Caring Sci 2006; 20 143–50.
| Doctor and patient perceptions of the level of doctor explanation and quality of patient-doctor communication.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16756519PubMed |
[3] van der Vleuten C, van den Eertwegh V, Giroldi E. Assessment of communication skills. Patient Educ Couns 2019; 102 2110–3.
| Assessment of communication skills.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 31351785PubMed |
[4] Silverman J, Kurtz SM, Draper J. Skills for communicating with patients. 3rd edn. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing; 2013.
[5] Robinson JD, Tate A, Heritage J. Agenda-setting revisited: When and how do primary-care physicians solicit patients’ additional concerns? Patient Educ Couns 2016; 99 718–23.
| Agenda-setting revisited: When and how do primary-care physicians solicit patients’ additional concerns?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26733124PubMed |
[6] Stivers T, Timmermans S. Medical Authority under Siege: How Clinicians Transform Patient Resistance into Acceptance. J Health Soc Behav 2020; 61 60–78.
| Medical Authority under Siege: How Clinicians Transform Patient Resistance into Acceptance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 32073304PubMed |
[7] Heritage J. The interaction order and clinical practice: Some observations on dysfunctions and action steps. Patient Educ Couns 2011; 84 338–43.
| The interaction order and clinical practice: Some observations on dysfunctions and action steps.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21715125PubMed |
[8] Barnes RK. Conversation Analysis of Communication in Medical Care: Description and Beyond. Res Lang Soc Interact 2019; 52 300–15.
| Conversation Analysis of Communication in Medical Care: Description and Beyond.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[9] Peters P, Kruger J-L. Access to information on Australian health websites: text-based and user-focused research. Text and Talk 2021; 41 787–812.
| Access to information on Australian health websites: text-based and user-focused research.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
[10] Zwarenstein M, Rice K, Gotlib-Conn L, Kenaszchuk C, Reeves S. Disengaged: a qualitative study of communication and collaboration between physicians and other professions on general internal medicine wards. BMC Health Serv Res 2013; 13 494
| Disengaged: a qualitative study of communication and collaboration between physicians and other professions on general internal medicine wards.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24274052PubMed |
