From: Impact of postgraduate training on communication skills teaching: a controlled study
Inpatient | Good skills | Poor skills | Outpatient | Good skills | Poor skills |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Explaining a procedure | Establishing initial rapport | Not exploring patient’s perspectives | Explaining a diagnosis | Setting the medical agenda | Not exploring patient’s perspectives |
 | Using clear language | No chunking nor checking |  | Using clear language | No chunking or checking |
 |  | No empathy |  |  | No empathy |
 |  | Not checking patient’s understanding at the end |  |  | Not checking patient’s understanding at the end |
Breaking bad news | Warning | No agenda setting | Managing time | Establishing initial rapport | Not negotiating the agenda |
 | Exploring patient’s perspectives | Using jargon |  | Medical agenda setting | Not announcing the duration of the consultation |
 | Empathy | Not informing appropriately |  | Chunking | No empathy |
Discussing with a family | Summarizing the context | Not negotiating each other’s agenda | Managing a difficult consultation | Agenda setting | Not exploring patient’s perspectives |
 | Remaining calm | Not exploring each other’s worries |  | Negotiating a common solution | Not acknowledging the problem |
 |  | No empathy |  |  | No empathy |
 |  | Not negotiating a common solution with the patient |  |  | No chunking or checking |