BY LEWIS WOOD MSC, BSC

Are you really listening? Do you take the time to hear and understand your patient’s story? Often a therapist will fill in the gaps with what they think was said, rather than what was actually said. This is described as partial listening. Commonly, without realising it, therapists practise preferential listening, where their listening is unintentionally influenced by their emotions, interests, experiences or personal background. Effective communication is an

essential part of exchanging information, understanding your patient, yet still allowing a natural spontaneous conversation. It is a key foundation to building a successful patient–therapist relationship, thus enabling you to become a more effective practitioner by providing bespoke treatment for that individual. Even though the task of communication is simple, advanced communication skills still need to be learnt. Advanced communication combines a set of skills including effective listening, skilled thinking, non-verbal cues and having the ability to manage conflict and resolve any differences. By creating an open environment for empathy, decision- making and problem solving, a practitioner will quickly get to the root of their patient’s presenting symptoms, identifying the nature of their condition

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EFFECTIVE PATIENT COMMUNICATION

The goal of this article is to challenge you to think about how you communicate with your patients on a daily basis. There is increasing emphasis for therapists to provide evidence-based treatments, but applying these techniques will make little impact unless you communicate effectively. Advanced communication is a skill that can be learnt and we discuss here the key components for achieving a spontaneous and useful exchange of information. Improving your communication will not only allow you to understand your patients better but will build trust and respect, resulting in a successful medical encounter.

and are more likely to meet their treatment expectations.

ADAPT YOUR COMMUNICATION STYLE Each patient we see has their own preferred style of communication, where they feel more comfortable and at ease to communicate openly. Practitioners could recognise their own personal preference and compare this to their patients. Then, if different, they could change their approach and adapt

their communication style. Closely matching your style to best fit your patients will encourage them to recall symptoms accurately and provide vital historical events regarding their condition.

REFLECTIVE LISTENING Reflective listening is an active process where the practitioner clearly hears and understands what the patient has said, and then has the ability to paraphrase and summarise the dialogue back to

sportEX dynamics 2013;36(April):22-26