Supervisors tell many doctors-in-training: “you need to improve your communication skills”. But what does this actually mean? And how can you go about improving communication skills? Many registrars are given this kind of feedback by their supervisors, but often without specific instructions about what to do about it. There are many, many aspects of communication that are essential to good patient care. And this can make the task feel overwhelming.
These communication skills include:
- Clear articulation or clarity of speech ensures that patients and their relatives understand a doctor’s questions and the information the doctor gives them.
- Clear explanation usually requires the trainee to avoid medical jargon and instead use appropriate lay-terms
- Appropriate posture can often be achieved by matching the patient’s posture.
Instead of trying to work on each of these skills, I initially encourage doctors to connect with their patients. I find that when doctor and patient connect, many of the communication skills fall into place much more easily. And to connect with patients, doctors need to listen and respond.
For example, when a doctor gives bad news, the patient is likely to experience some kind of grief response. With today’s time pressures, many doctors are quick to move on to a management plan rather than sit with their patients’ feelings. I encourage registrars to view a patient’s expression of grief as a point of entry to connect with the patient.
In this context, a connection might be saying something like: “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.” Or, “I’m so sorry.” Or it might just have the doctor stop, listen and stay silent for a few moments.
By shifting the focus to making sure that patients feel heard and validated, doctors can improve their communication skills with much less effort. After this focus, it is then much easier for us to attend to the specific areas that need help.
Connecting more with your patients is an easier, simpler way to improve your communication skills. Try it!