Inglese scientifico - Appunti

Basic clinical skills

Communicating with patients

• Establish a rapport by general conversation

and appropriate physical contact with a

handshake or hand on shoulder

• Verbal rapport:-

1.allow the patient time to explain

2.ask open-ended questions:- following PQRST

TECHNIQUE

3.summarize your understanding of the problem

4.explain clearly what you think is happening

and say what you will do about it

5.confirm that the patient understands

• non- verbal rapport:-

1.confidence

2.eye contact

3.physical contact

4.act as if you have all the time for the

patient

5.prevent distractions

ATTRIBUTES OF PAIN

P. Q. R. S. T.

P: Palliative

What makes you feel better or worse?

Q: Quality

What is the pain like?

R: Region

What is the region involved? Where does it

hurt?

Does it radiate?

S: Severity

How much does it hurt? Can you still

work? Are you incapacitated? Are you able

to sleep?

T: Temporal (time)

When does the pain occur? Is the pain

intermittent or constant?

How to be a good doctor

Facts alone are not good enough! A good physician should

have:-

• A strong humanity i.e. a basic interest in human

beings

• An interest in disease: its causation and treatment

• An ability to communicate: with patients to obtain a

full understanding of their problems and be able to

give accurate information and be non-judgemental

• An ability to examine patients and elicit abnormal

physical signs

• An ability to summarize facts and make a case

history

• An up-to-date knowledge base

• An ability to realize when knowledge is deficient

and to learn in response to new knowledge

• An ability to acknowledge errors and learn from

them

• Appropriate technical skills in diagnostic and

therapeutic procedures.

• An understanding of economic, social and cultural,

political health care systems.

• Excellent managerial and interpersonal skills.

Material adapted from MEDICINE AT A GLANCE BY PATRICK DAVEY