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Patient Communication
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Introduction
The practice of medicine requires medical professionals to communicate and establish relationships with patients, their relatives, and fellow medical colleagues. This rotation guide contains concepts to help you enhance your communication skills and navigate through difficult conversations.
The following topics are addressed in this rotation guide:
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The Medical Interview and Building Rapport
Tips on the medical interview, techniques for empathic communication, tools for information gathering, and how to obtain a thorough sexual and substance use history
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The definition of shared decision making, with online resources for implementing shared decision making
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Communication Challenges and Health Literacy
Tools to improve communication with patients who have communication difficulties (e.g., language barriers, hearing impairment) and low health literacy
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Helpful acronyms to structure a discussion with a patient and family member
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An overview of the literature on medical error disclosure and coping with making mistakes
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Communicating with Family Members and Caregivers
A guide to improving communication between family members and caregivers
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Communicating with Colleagues and Medical Teams
Tools to improve communication between colleagues and medical teams (e.g., conflict resolution and handoff)
Other topics related to patient communication are covered in the following rotation guides:
- Geriatric Assessment and Transition of Care (Geriatrics)
- Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care (Geriatrics)
- Chronic Pain (Palliative Care — coming soon)
Rotation Prep was developed by a collaborative team of experts, educators, fellows, and residents including:
Writers: Ken Wu, MBBS MRCPCH; Ramya Ramaswami, MBBS, MRCP(UK), MPH (NEJM Fellows)
Peer Reviewers: Molly Elmer-DeWitt, MD; Shmuel Margolin, MD and Leigh Simmons, MD
Section Expert: Rachel Taliercio, DO
Senior Editor: Ole-Petter Hamnvik, MBBCh, BAO, MMSC
Last updated: September 2020 by Ken Wu, MBBS MRCPCH
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Rachel Taliercio, DO
Rachel M. Taliercio, DO is a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic. She completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Cleveland Clinic. She is currently the Director of Postgraduate Enrichment for the Center for Excellence in Healthcare Communication.
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Ongoing and Upcoming Discussions
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Discussion
Financial Planning 101
The average annual cost of attending medical school is upwards of $250,000, and the average medical student graduates with debt approaching $200,000. Although physicians are still some of the highest paid professionals in the...
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Discussion
@NEJM Resident 360 Journal Club with Cambridge Health Alliance Internal Medicine Residency Program on Weight Loss in Underserved Patients — A Cluster-Randomized Trial
We have invited the residents and faculty from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Neonatal Training Program to lead a journal club discussion about the NEJM article, "Single-Dose Nirsevimab for Prevention of RSV in Preterm Infants." The authors of the article...
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Discussion
Teaching on the Wards: Resident as Teacher
For medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings, opportunities for learning goes beyond the classroom. How should you approach bedside teaching? What are the most effective strategies for teaching procedures? How do you promote engagement at morning report and journal club? How do you give effective feedback? Join NEJM...
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Featured Articles
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Expert Consult
Delivering Difficult News: Stocking the Toolbox
Communication is key in all relationships. Effective and compassionate communication by physicians and other health care providers has been demonstrated to improve clinical outcomes, treatment adherence, patient satisfaction, and to reduce malpractice claims. For health care providers...
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Expert Consult
The Art of Leading with the Right Balance as a Senior Resident
Although every resident develops his or her own style for each of these roles, the following practical strategies were discussed in a NEJM Resident 360 discussion (How to Lead a Team on the Wards: The Art to Being an Effective Resident).
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Expert Consult
Once You’ve Found the Question: How to Take the Next Steps in Research
For many medical trainees, transitioning from having a question for a research project to taking the next steps is difficult. Finding an appropriate mentor, getting ethics approval, collecting data, performing analyses, and writing up a project for publication are particularly hard when added to the pressures and stresses of medical school or residency.
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