communication skills

Question 1

what are the steps of a consultation?

Answer 1

1. Confirm you have the right patient
2. Find out why the patient has attended and what they hope to gain from the
   consultation
3. Ask the right questions to gather more information
4. Apply your clinical knowledge to work out what is going on and what the
   next steps should be
5. Discuss this with your patient and agree a plan, before saying goodbye

Question 2

why are communication skills important?

Answer 2

• patient safety
• patient trust
• teamwork

Question 3

what is SOCRATES?

Answer 3

• S- site of pain
• O- onset ( what brought it on)
• C – character ( ache, burning, stabbing)
• R – radiation ( does it go anywhere else)
• A – associated symptoms- like breathlessness
• T – timing/ duration
• E – exacerbating or relieving factors-like inhalers
• S – severity ( often the 1-10 scale used)

Question 4

how should i ensure I’m understood?

Answer 4

• Avoid speaking too quickly
• Observe for verbal & non-verbal cues
• Avoid raising your voice
• Use inclusive language – avoid local dialect if the other person is likely to be unfamiliar with it
• Encourage patient to ask questions

Question 5

how should you ensure that you have understood the patient?

Answer 5

• Avoid making assumptions
• Clarify the information eg belly …….where are they referring to
• If necessary ask them to repeat themselves or slow down their speech
• Observe & respond to verbal and non verbal cues
• Summarise

Question 6

what else do you want to know about patient?

Answer 6

Have they had any serious health
issues ( past medical history)?

Are they taking any medications or
are they allergic to any?

Is there any relevant family history?

How is their home life, what is their
occupation, do they smoke or drink
alcohol/ use illicit drugs?

Question 7

what are important factors of forming rapport?

Answer 7

• attentive listening
• positive body language
• being caring & empathetic

Question 8

what are 3 parts to effective communication?

Answer 8

= verbal (words & phrases we use)
= para-verbal (how they say those words, tone & pitch & pace)
= non-verbal (that is our body language)

Question 9

what are 2 things to be done at end of consult?

Answer 9

• signposting
• summarising