Developing Communication and Counselling Skills in Medicine

The need to train health professionals in communication skills is widely recognized. Good doctor/patient interaction has a positive effect on recovery from illness, decreasing patients’ anxiety, improving compliance with treatment, and reducing common causes of patients’ complaints. First published in 1991, Developing Communication and Counselling Skills in Medicine is the first book written with a predominantly practical and skills learning approach specifically for medical students.

The book offers clear guidance to health professionals on how to deal with patients effectively and sympathetically. The emphasis is on how the reader can acquire knowledge and on guiding the development of skills using case examples. The chapters discuss general issues, basis of the approach, and difficult situations in which medical professionals find themselves—breaking bad news, dealing with complaints, supporting the distressed, or interviewing angry or aggressive patients. The volume also includes a chapter on the importance of a self-support system for the clinician. The contributors are all well-known, distinguished clinicians with extensive knowledge and experience of working in the area.