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Person Centered Approach to Recovery in Medicine pp 163–176Cite as

Communication and Relational Skills in Medicine

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Part of the book series: Integrating Psychiatry and Primary Care ((IPPC))

Abstract

Effective clinical communication is key to high-quality person-centered health care, but this can be challenging for medical professionals, especially when the news is unwelcome, distressing, or complex to deliver. Despite inherent challenges, effective communication can be taught. Two advanced communication training programs are discussed. The Comskil model teaches advanced modules to cancer clinicians about how to communicate distressing diagnostic and prognostic news to oncology patients and families. The program has matured into a comprehensive curriculum and utilizes highly trained simulated patients and small group role-plays that allow trainees to learn, practice, and evaluate communication skills in a safe learning environment. Digital recordings along with facilitator and peer group discussions are used to provide immediate feedback to trainees about their performance. The validity and utility of the Comskil program have been demonstrated, applied to over 1000 clinicians, as has the use of facilitator-led small group role-play sessions. This framework provided a useful model from which to develop a communication skills training program specific to psychiatry. The ComPsych model focuses on schizophrenia and management approaches aligned to a recovery-orientated framework and has demonstrated acceptability, utility, and efficacy for psychiatry. A greater understanding is needed of how medical professionals use a reflective process to make sense of their communication with patients, how training impacts communication style, and how communication style is further developed in practice.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Carmel Loughland & Philippa Ditton-Phare

  2. Hunter New England Mental Health Service, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Carmel Loughland & Philippa Ditton-Phare

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    David W. Kissane

  4. Szalmuk Family Psycho-Oncology Research Unit, Cabrini Health, Malvern, VIC, Australia

    David W. Kissane

Authors
  1. Carmel Loughland
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  2. Philippa Ditton-Phare
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  3. David W. Kissane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David W. Kissane .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

    Luigi Grassi

  2. University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Michelle B. Riba

  3. Inova Fairfax Hospital, Johns Hopkins University Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA, USA

    Thomas Wise

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Loughland, C., Ditton-Phare, P., Kissane, D.W. (2019). Communication and Relational Skills in Medicine. In: Grassi, L., Riba, M., Wise, T. (eds) Person Centered Approach to Recovery in Medicine. Integrating Psychiatry and Primary Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74736-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74736-1_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74735-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-74736-1

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