Editorial
English
Amer Eltwati Ben Irhuma
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sebha Sebha, Libya
JMJ 2010, Vol.10, No.2:80-85
Abstract
Communicating effectively with patients involves the core skills of questioning, active listening, and facilitating. These skills can be learned and need to be practised. Asking questions: involves use of open questions as often as possible particularly at the beginning of an interview. We advise to obtain specific information using focused and closed questions, use probing questions to clarify, check accuracy and to help the patient to expand on what they have said, avoid using leading questions, avoid using several questions at once, to allow the patient time to answer questions, rephrase a question using simpler language if they do not understand or if their answer is unclear. Listening is one of the core skills of good communication; it allows the patient to talk without interruption. Effective listening means concentrating on what the patient says and trying to understand their feelings as they speak. We are advised to be alert to verbal and nonverbal cues, to demonstrate attention use appropriate body language and facilitate comments, to allows the pauses or silences, and leave time at the end of the interview to summarise what the patient has said and ask if they have anything to add, Some common pitfalls to be avoided are: – Asking too many questions, not allowing the patient to tell the story in their own words, and unnecessary interruptions, as well as failing to pick up important verbal and nonverbal cues.
Keywords: Skills, Questioning, Listening, Interview.
Link/DOI: http://www.jmj.org.ly/images/stories/summer2010/80.pdf