Review article

Communication skills in medicine and public health

Domagoj Keleminić ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
Veljko Đorđević ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
Marijana Braš ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The relationship between a physician and a patient has been changing throughout history, from the old,
traditional, paternalistic approach to the modern approach which includes a patient - physician partnership.
As the relationship changed, the views on the importance of communication skills also changed. In
modern medicine, communication skills are considered as one of the fundamental skills and mastering
communication is one of the obligations of a good medical practitioner. The two major components of
communication are verbal and non-verbal communication. While verbal communication is used for the
transmission of information, non-verbal communication gives additional meaning and conveys emotions
and attitude. The importance of successful delivery of both components in the daily work of physicians has
been demonstrated in many studies. It is perhaps best demonstrated in the medical interview, where the
quality of communication has a proven impact on patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and the frequency
of lawsuits. Communication is omnipresent in the everyday work of all health workers, in the interactions
with patients, colleagues and medical team members. Since effective interdisciplinary collaboration and
teamwork is proven to be an important factor in the final outcome of the treatment, especially in surgery
and emergency medicine, has recently come into focus to their improvement. Many different programs have
been introduced to numerous international and Croatian universities, as a part of the medical schools and
other health studies, but the ideal approach and the effectiveness of various methods of education are still
being debated.

Keywords

communication skills, teamwork; medical interview; communication skills training

Hrčak ID:

174629

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/174629

Publication date:

5.12.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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