Communication skills in English for the medical practitioner

Languages Chair
Yaroslavl State Medical University

communication involves and
to show the importance of good communication

to the doctor-patient interview

where a sender of a massage (words) should receive (get)

some feedback (reaction) from the receiver
a sender a message a receiver


a feedback
(reaction)



social interaction through messages

?-Find and give your definition

voice communication

management

non-verbal communication

active listening

cultural awareness

doctor

patient

ensure that what we say is:
clear
accurate
honest
appropriate (to the person’s age,

language/culture and level of understanding and education).

communication factors (?)

1.relation to each other 2. gender 3. age 4. language/lexics 5. level of education

of

cardiac arrest?
Patient No, we have never had any
trouble with the police



What causes misunderstanding?
Find an alternative expression.

reduce misunderstanding risks

Maintain communication

Prevent communication breakdown

management
Your tone of voice is also important.
Try not to let

your personal feelings seep into your voice – try to stay calm and focused on the patient/client in front of you. With practice, you’ll be able to perfect this vital skill.

It is not what we say, it is

how we say

What aspects of voice can influence verbal message?
Listen to three doctors (ex.6, 7, p.10). What can you say about them?

- intonation
- stress
- speed
- loudness
- pausing

meaning to what people say and undermine communication

a lot about our interest and engagement in the communication

we’re having. Even when we ‘say the right things’, the message can be lost if our body language suggests we’re thinking something very different.

is the most difficult to control?

a person says and feels and reflecting that information back

to the speaker.

health care professionalpatient relationship.
Lessens your chance erroneous treatment/decisionmaking, based

on your own assumptions.
Increases the chance that you’ll procure pertinent information.

looking at you, EMR). Focus on the person to show

he has your undivided attention.
Body Language
Face the patient. Maintain eye contact. Nod at appropriate times. Avoid crossing your arms and keep an open posture to show you are open to communication.
Acknowledgement
Paraphrase comments to verify your understanding of the situation. Clarify important details by asking if you have a thorough understanding of what he is saying and feeling. Ask open-ended questions to elaborate on key aspects.
Nonjudgmental Attitude
Withhold judgment. Avoid interrupting with counterarguments. Avoid “premature diving”.
Response
Avoid condescending responses. Show empathy by respecting the patient.

Where possible try and get more to the point.
Clarify:Process of

bringing vague material into sharper focus.
Check Perceptions: Request for verification of your perceptions.
Summarize: Pulling together, organizing, and integrating the major aspects of your dialogue. Pay attention to various themes and emotional overtones. Put key ideas and feelings into broad statements. DO NOT add new ideas.
Express Empathy: Reflection of content and feelings

Thinking about the words

to
say
Mumbling Day-dreaming
Speaking quickly Judgment in advance
Strong accent Predicting what the speaker is
Wrong stress going to say

you are in a hurry - listening to verbal cues - observing

non-verbal cues (eye contact, body language) - making utterances (I see, Right) - clarifying, summarizing - pausing before questions

practices make culture

It is important to understand how culture shapes

both the patient’s beliefs and also our own.

Bickley (2003)

and willing to embrace change.
It means realizing that language

and culture are linked and cannot be separated.
Lack of cultural awareness can result in offending others.

written test