Lecture 15

Question 1

What is an open question?

Answer 1

Open Questions introduce an area of enquiry without unduly focusing the content of the response.

Question 2

What is a closed question?

Answer 2

Questions that limit the response to a narrow field set by the questioner: often one word answers.

Question 3

What is the use of open questions?

Answer 3

▫Allow the pharmacist time to listen and think
▫Encourages the client to tell their story in a more complete fashion.
▫Allow for possible answers you haven’t thought of
▫Helps the client to feel understood
▫Sets a pattern of client participation
▫Prevents a stab-in-the-dark approach

Question 4

What is the use of closed questions?

Answer 4

Closed questions “mop up”
▫Allow you to elicit fine details
▫Allow you to ‘test hypotheses’
▫May help you to investigate areas that don’t emerge in the client’s account
▫Useful for some aspects of functional enquiry

Question 5

Open Questions for _______________
Closed Questions for
_______________

Answer 5

Open Questions for Information

Closed Questions for Confirmation

Question 6

What is a leading question?

Answer 6

Particular answer is suggested in the question.

Question 7

Effective Questions: Questions work best when they are:

Answer 7

▫Clear and easily understood
▫Unambiguous
▫Open-ended (if this is most appropriate)
▫Are not leading

Question 8

Tailoring your questions:

The questioning situation works best when you:

Answer 8

▫You match the pace/content/language of questions to the client
▫The client understands your reason for asking the question


Question 9

When involving the patient you share your thoughts to?

Answer 9

To encourage patient involvement

Question 10

When involving the patient why do you share the reasons for your questions?

Answer 10

So patients know why you need to ask things. No mystery.

Question 11

What is active listening?

Answer 11

▪Listening intently with whole body 
▪Silence
▪Minimal encouragers
▪Reflective techniques ▪Summarising
▪Confronting 
▪Open questions

Question 12

List the active listening skills

Answer 12

▪Silence
▪Minimal encouragers ▪Clarification 
▪Paraphrasing 
▪Reflection 
▪Summarising

Question 13

Why is silence sometimes used in communication ?

Answer 13

▪Helps both sides to collect their thoughts.
▪Allows people time to process information and emotion.
▪Body language can communicate attention during silence.


Question 14

What are minimal encourages?

Answer 14

▪Brief words, sounds, gestures that encourage a person to continue talking.
▫Words: Yes, OK, Oh, Right
▫Sounds: Hmm, Mmm, Uh-ha
▫Gestures: Nods, appropriate smiles, frowns

Question 15

Why is clarification used in communication?

Answer 15

Questions that help to clarify any ambiguity in what the patient has told you can help confirm hypotheses.

Question 16

What is paraphrasing?

Answer 16

Restating the essence of the message in a patient’s earlier statement in different words.
▫Does not alter meaning ▫Does not add to meaning

Question 17

What is summarising?

Answer 17

▪Two or more paraphrases or reflections that condense the person’s message.
▪Good for reviewing what the person has said, allowing for clarification and mutual understanding.
▪Good for controlling rambling conversations!