Communications and emotions

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7366.672

BMJ 2002;325:672 ( 28 September )

Editorials

Communications and emotions

Skills and effort are key

Papers p 679 Clinical review p 697

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Anyone who wants to be regarded as a good doctor needs to possess effective communication skills. Everyone expects that ofus, but the truth is that good communication is often quite difficultand training for it is stilldeveloping.

Communication skills make an appreciable difference to clinical management. We take for granted our own communication abilitiesin history taking, but further training can enhance our abilityto diagnose and treat conditions, including depression.¹ Communicationis often a major component of the medical management in chronicand palliative care: sometimes it is all we have to offer. Comparedwith most medications, communication skills have undoubted palliativeefficacy (often reducing symptoms significantly), a wide therapeuticindex (overdose is rare), and the commonest problem in practiceis suboptimal dosing. At a more mercenary level, poor communicationskills have been shown to be a predictor of medicolegal vulnerabilityand also of burnout. ² ³

Yet, although . . . [Full text of this article]

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