Abstract
People diagnosed with cancer face with a life-threatening event, and this can be extremely challenging. Goals of medical care include understanding the patient’s concerns and values, assessing coping and family situation, addressing patient worries and possible barriers to implementing the treatment plan, involving patients in decision-making and applying one’s skills to built a honest and trusting relationship. Communication skills are associated with important care outcomes for the oncologist: increased patient satisfaction, enhanced accrual to clinical trials, better informed consent for treatments, increased cooperation with care, decreased physician burnout and increased competence in discussing important issues. Emotions play a crucial role in patient–physician relationship, so that an effective communication must take into account their management and awareness. This chapter gives an overview of principles of communication to enhance patient–physician relationship.
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Razzaboni, E. (2021). Patient–Physician Communication. In: Russo, A., Peeters, M., Incorvaia, L., Rolfo, C. (eds) Practical Medical Oncology Textbook. UNIPA Springer Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56051-5_23
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