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PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
INTERACTING WITH PATIENTS
It is very important for internationally-educated doctors to consider how consultations are generally managed in the UK, and to reflect on whether the way they have been used to talking with patients in their home country would also be appropriate for NHS practice.
The style of the consultation is relatively informal compared to other countries, and most UK patients expect to be kept informed and closely involved in discussions about their health.
A useful approach to learning is to spend time closely observing how UK-trained colleagues manage their conversations with patients and compare this to previous experiences overseas.
Questions to consider while observing doctor-patient interactions:
- What is the balance of talking time between doctor and patient?
- Who asks more questions?
- What kind of information is shared?
- Who makes the decisions?
- How formal is the doctor’s language?
- What conclusions can you draw about doctor-patient communication in UK practice?
- How might these observations determine your language learning needs?
Resources:
The PSU’s Specialist Clinical Communication and Linguistic Service (SCCLS) offers London and Kent, Surrey, and Sussex trainees the following courses:
- Individual Communication Skills session (2 hours): – an opportunity to reflect on and rehearse challenging conversations with patients and colleagues or receive individual support on any aspect of professional communication. The facilitating team includes a communication skills specialist, a linguist, and a professional role player.
- Enhancing your Consultation Skills: Working in small groups on bespoke scenarios created according to individual learning needs and facilitated by a communication skills specialist, a linguist, and a professional role player
Booking information can be found here: https://london.hee.nhs.uk/professional-development/professional-support-unit/courses-and-conferences
Reading material on consultation skills:
Silverman et al: Skills for Communicating with Patients 2013
Tate: The Doctor’s Communication Handbook
Person-centred care:
https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/our-programmes/about-person-centred-care.aspx
INTERACTING WITH COLLEAGUES
Working in teams
Cultural values and behaviours affect both how teams are structured (who is included) and the way that they function.
Clinicians in some cultures may prefer working in teams of members from the same profession; others may choose to involve colleagues from a range of disciplines.
Power may be more, or less evenly distributed. Decisions might be taken according to professional seniority or may be more collective and consensual.
For internationally trained doctors, meetings, handovers, and case reviews offer valuable opportunities to contrast how teams’ function in the UK, compared to experiences of healthcare systems in other countries.
Questions to consider when observing team meetings:
- Who are the participants?
- Who speaks most?
- Whose opinions are invited?
- Whose opinions are most valued?
- How are decisions reached?
- How might these observations impact on your language learning needs?
Resources:
The PSU’s Specialist Clinical Communication and Linguistic Service (SCCLS) offers London and Kent, Surrey, and Sussex trainees the following resources:
- The Influence of Culture on Communication: An interactive group course to explore how cultural values and behaviours impact on professional presentation
- Assertiveness for Clinical Practice: An opportunity to explore what assertiveness is and how it is effectively demonstrated, without compromising relationships in the workplace.
Booking information can be found here: https://london.hee.nhs.uk/professional-development/professional-support-unit/courses-and-conferences
Assertiveness Online Workbook: https://london.hee.nhs.uk/assertiveness-home
Video resources:
Communicating with people at different levels of the workplace hierarchy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA6IVwMvZH8
Ensuring patient safety in communication with colleagues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qCxZdScI3I
IMG voices: Culture and Professionalism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFBtakvl8yA&t