Consolidating core communication skills and specific communication challenges Flashcards
Why are communication skills important?
GDC identified dental team-patient communication as one of the core competencies required for good dental practice
-one of four domains for registration
The Calgary-Cambridge Framework
Patient-Centred clinical approach -initiating the session -gathering information -physical examination -explanation and planning -closing the session All the while providing structure and building the relationship
Types of communication skills
Content: what dentists communicate
Process: how dentists communicate
–> combining content and process
Patient-centred approach
Dentist tries to enter the patient’s world to
see the [illness/symptoms/condition] through the patient’s eyes
You are the expert on clinical dentistry, but your patients are the experts on their
own decisions and how they impact on them
Initiating the session
Preparation
Establishing initial rapport
Identifying the reason for the consultation
Gathering information
Exploration of the patient’s problems to discover
- biomedical perspective
- patient’s perspective
- background info - context
Providing structure
Making organisation overt
Attending to flow
Explanation and planning
Providing correct amoung and type of info
Aiding accurate recall and understanding
Achieving shared understanding: incorporating pt’s illness framework
Planning: shared decision making
Closing the session
Ensuring appropriate point of closure
Forward planning
Building the relationship
Using appropriate non-verbal behaviour
Developing rapport
Involving the pt
Specific challenges
- culture and social diversity
- dealing with emotions
- age related issues – the elderly, children
- the three way interview
- breaking bad news
- low literacy patients
- sensory impaired patients
- complaints
- ethics
- health promotion and prevention
What is dental anxiety?
General state of apprehension, prepared for
something negative to happen
What is dental phobia?
Severe anxiety which results in avoidance or
endurance of situation with significant discomfort
Dental anxiety and phobia stats
• 36% moderate dental anxiety; 12% extreme dental
anxiety (UK Adult Dental Health Survey, 2009)
• 45% named fear of the dentist as the barrier to dental
care
• 10-12 million Americans estimated to be Dental
Phobic, 35 million experience excessive anxiety
• Having a tooth drilled would make them very or
extremely anxious (30%) and having a local
anaesthetic injection (28%)
Dental fear pie chart
30% no fear
40% occasional or moderate fear
20% strong fear
10% dental phobia
Dental anxiety scale and pt behaviours
No fear: cognitively aware. Relaxed head, neck, and jaw for optimal access and visibility. Pro-active, prompt, trusting. Excellent referral source
Low: Easier to treat, more compliant, pro-active, and open to tx plans. Tongue battles, gagging and tense jaw. Fair referral source.
Moderate (typical): not pro-active in dental health, requires more time, talk through procedures, resists recommended tx plans. Low referrals
Extreme: frequently cancels or shows up late. Resists treatment. High stress for pt and team. Virtually no referrals.
The impact of dental anxiety on the patient
No dental care
Delayed treatment
More restorative treatment
–>reduced oral and general health, lowered quality of life
The impact of dental anxiety on the dental team
Missed apts
Higher levels of stress
–>admin and financial problems; lowered satisfaction and, over long-term, health and well-being
Causes of dental anxiety
Learning
-traumatic/ negative experiences (classical conditioning)
-friends, family, media (observational/ vicarious)
Uncertainty - ‘the fear of the unknown’
-unpredictability, lack of control, inadequate information, pain
Personality
-patient: neuroticism, generalised anxiety
-dentist: negative attributes - ‘impersonal’, ‘uncaring’, ‘disinterested’, ‘cold’, and poor communication skills
Dental pain stats
Up to 77% pts report some pain
11.6% LAs fail
76% highly anxious pts state fear of pain is all or part of their fear
-fear of pain –> anxiety –> avoidance/ non-attendance
Expected pain; perceived pain; actual pain
Dental pain
Pain is not just a response to a stimulus (e.g. cracked tooth) Pain involves an active interpretation of sensation Individual is active not passive Pain has multiple influencers • Expectations; Age; Gender • Socio-cultural factors • Personality; Emotional state
Three As of anxiety
Ask how anxious they are
Acknowledge what you have heard
Address the fears by offering solutions
Cognitive behavioural management techniques
- Reduce uncertainty
- Providing information about techniques and equipment prior to and during treatment - Enhance control
- Stop signals (Button or hand) - Distract
- Music; TV; Video-game;
headphones; eye-mask
CBT for dental anxiety
1) Evidence for effectiveness of self-help CBT for young people with general anxiety
2) Experience from use of CBT for dental anxiety in adults including CBT delivered by dental nurses in Sheffield
3) Recent RCT of guided online CBT reduced dental anxiety in Swedish children
- ->Sufficient evidence to suggest that a self-help CBT resource for young people with dental anxiety could be effective at reducing dental anxiety
Key features of anxiety guides
1) Challenge unhelpful thoughts • Normalises dental anxiety • Provides information 2) Enhance control • Message to the Dentist • Stop signal contract 3) Reflect and plan reward
Why is it difficult to give bad news?
Not knowing how best to do it
Fear of upsetting the patient’s existing life
Not knowing the patient; their resources and limitations
Fear of the implications for the patient e.g. pain, social and financial loss, disfigurement
Fear of the patient’s emotional reaction
Uncertainty as to what will happen next; not having answers to questions
The DCP may feel responsible and fears being blamed
Steps of giving bad news
Preparation –> discussing the news –> reviewing the situation
Preparation for giving bad news
Consider:
- the information to be given
- the setting of the interaction
- time considerations
Process of giving bad news
Give information
Check the patient’s understanding of the information
Identify the patient’s main concerns
Elicit the patient’s personal resources and decide on
way forward
Empathy definition
Empathy is the experience of understanding another person’s condition from
their perspective. You place yourself in their position
Dealing with emotion
Crying, anger, silence
• Empathic response = identify the emotion, the
cause, show connection has been made
• ‘This must be a shock to you…’
•‘I can see you are very upset. I am sorry to give you
this bad news.’
• Avoid platitudes ‘It happens to the best of us’ and false sympathy ‘I know what it’s
Shared decision making
- Shares own thinking as appropriate: ideas, dilemmas
- Involves patient; offers suggestions and choices rather than directives
- Explores management options
- Ascertains level of involvement patient wishes in making decision(s)
- Negotiates a mutually acceptable plan; signposts own preference on available options, determines patient’s
preferences - Checks with patient: if accepts plan and concerns have been addressed