Lecture 1: Communication Skills

Question 0

Who must pharmacists communicate with?

Answer 0

Patients, doctors, nurses, DHB, government, staff, WINZ, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, families of patients

Question 1

What is communication?

Answer 1

The ability of an individual to interact with other people

Question 2

What do clinical communication skills allow you to do?

Answer 2

-Establish effective, empathetic working relationships with patients, their families and other health professionals

• Obtain info you need to know
• give info you need to give

Question 3

What happens if effective working relationships are not established?

Answer 3

It becomes very difficult to get needed info and messages across

Question 4

What to effective questions encourage?

Answer 4

Clear, complete and honest dialogue

Question 5

What is it important NOT to do in clinical communication?

Answer 5

Make assumptions

Question 6

What are some examples of non verbal communication?

Answer 6

Posture, eye contact, facial expression, relative position, gestures, micro expressions, tone and pitch of voice, emotional expression, physical contact, body movement…

Question 7

What is non verbal communication open to?

Answer 7

Interpretation

Question 8

What can you learn about your patients from their nonverbal communication?

Answer 8

How they are feeling, e.g. Embarrassed, anxious, angry,

If they are genuine, e.g. Eye contact,

If what they are saying is honest e.g. If posture does not match with dialogue.

Question 9

Why is effective clinical communication important?

Answer 9

• it’s a major component of successful treatment
• it increases pharmacist and patient satisfaction
• it increases patient health and well being

Question 10

Which situations would effective clinical communication be difficult

Answer 10

1. Situations when clients are:
   Angry, over inclusive, dying, depressed, confused, manipulative, reluctant to talk, much older than you
2. Situations when clients are from a different cultural group to yours,
3. Talking about bad news with clients,
4. Talking to family members,
5. When clients are not responding to treatment

Question 11

What is adherence?

Answer 11

Adherence is the extent to which a persons behaviour
(Taking medication, following diet, or executing lifestyle changes,) corresponds with agree recommendations from a health care provider

Question 12

To maximise adherence to treatment, what are the steps to successful treatment?.

Answer 12

Treatment plan established
Patient understands,
Patient is motivated
Patient trusts the pharmacist and reports adherence difficulties
Pharmacist listens and addresses these difficulties
Successful treatment

Question 13

If treatment and medication etc is the patients choice, Why must pharmacists care so much?

Answer 13

Because we can make a big difference to make sure the patient understands why medicines have to be taken a certain way.

Once they understand, they are more likely to be compliant to their treatment plan and adhere to it

Question 14

Why is “being heard” one of the greatest determinants of patient/customer satisfaction?

Answer 14

Patients can’t always judge competence

Question 15

What is the advantage of having satisfied patients?

Answer 15

Lowered stress and increased job satisfaction for pharmacist.

Happy customers tell their friends!

Question 16

What are the therapeutic impacts of clinical communication?

Answer 16

Impacts on patients future contact with health system
Impacts on emotional state of patients
Impacts on psychineuroimmunology

Question 17

What constitutes facilitating communication skills?

Answer 17

Building a helping relationship 
Rapport, warmth
Active listening, 
Empathy, caring,
Dependability

Question 18

What is rapport?

Answer 18

A positive harmonious relationship

A state where both participants feel comfortable and able to connect with the other persons thoughts and ideas

Question 19

Why are facilitative communication skills important?

Answer 19

We want to think of patients as people, not tablets

We want patients to trust us

Question 20

How do you develop rapport?

Answer 20

Show acceptance
- accept clients views as real and appropriate
Offer empathy and concern
- express concern and willingness to help. Acknowledge patients efforts in self help
Be sensitive
- deal sensitively with embarrassing/disturbing topics.

Question 21

What are some skills in building rapport?

Answer 21

Establishing good first meeting
Non verbal communication expressing interest and respect
Good listening and interview skills
Trustworthiness

Question 22

How is rapport initially established?

Answer 22

Greet, meet, task, ask

Demonstrate respect and interest

Question 23

What happens if you not meet I.e. introduce yourself?

Answer 23

Rapport may not be established if patient does not know your role. They may not take you seriously

Question 24

How is active listening shown?

Answer 24

By verbal and non verbal behaviour

By a respectful accepting attitude

By behaviour which encourages patients to tell their story
And conveys the ‘I am listening and will not laugh’ message

Question 25

What are active listening skills?

Answer 25

Attending, and following

Question 26

How is attending achieved?

Answer 26

Posture, appropriate body movements, culturally appropriate eye contact

Question 27

How are following skills achieved

Answer 27

Through the use of door openers,
 avoidance of roadblocks, 
usage of minimal encourages, 
asking a few questions, 
using silence

Question 28

What are the three types of questions?

Answer 28

Open questions, closed questions, and leading questions

Question 29

What is an open question?

Answer 29

Questions which introduce an area of enquiry without unduly focusing the content or the response

E.g. How was your day?

Question 30

What is a closed question?

Answer 30

Questions that limit the response to a narrow file set by the questioner, often to a one word answer
e.g. Did you have a good day?

Question 31

What are leading questions.

Answer 31

Questions which imply a certain wanted answer

E.g. It was YOU who left the fridge door open, wasn’t it?