Download Communication Skills Module - Council of Medical Colleges

Performance Assessment Tool:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
This tool is the property of the Medical Council of New Zealand and may be used with permission
DM1183293
May 2013
Communication skills
Objective
The objective is to assess the doctor’s communication skills and attitudes to patients through
specific attention to communication skills during all phases of the assessment, especially during
the observation of the doctor with patients, as well as the use of a targeted closing interview.
The interview
The interview contains standard questions covering seven aspects of communication and doctor
attitudes. Select the most appropriate questions to address the original concern about this
doctor’s communication. The interview should be as explorative as possible. There will usually
be additional questions that arise as a result of the observation of consultations.
One of the assessor should note the answers to the questions. All members should note down
any answers that concern them so they can be used as examples in the report.
The concepts covered in this interview include:
 provision of information to patients
 patient consent
 power sharing
 patient rights
 privacy issues
 cultural sensitivity
 interpersonal boundaries.
General questions:
What areas of communication are you comfortable with and which areas are more challenging?
Tell me about a difficult consultation in which you felt the communication did not go well.
Questions about provision of information to patients:
How much information do you think is appropriate to provide patients when informing them
about a new long term drug treatment/an invasive procedure?
If you suspect a patient has cancer, at what stage would you tell them this?
In what circumstances do you think you might withhold health information from a patient?
If something goes wrong or unexpected in a patient’s treatment, how would you handle this?
Do you ever admit mistakes to your patients?
Questions about patient consent:
Please describe how you seek your patient’s consent for (use specific examples of the following
eg, travel vaccines, specific procedure etc):
 examining them
 investigations
 procedures/operations
DM1183293
May 2013

prescribing of new drugs.
Questions about power sharing:
How much do you think patients should be involved in decisions about their care?
What is your response if a patient asks you for a second opinion or to be referred to another
doctor?
What would your response be if a patient became angry toward you?
If the patient did not wish to follow your advice, what would your response be?
Questions about patient rights:
What process does the practice have to inform patients of their rights and the complaints
procedure?
How do you react and respond when patients complain?
Questions about privacy and dignity:
If a mother of a 16 year old girl who is also your patient, is wanting to discuss her daughter’s
treatment, what would your response be?
In what context would you discuss a family member’s health with a patient?
Questions about cultural sensitivity:
What do you understand by cultural sensitivity?
How do you manage problems you encounter when dealing with a patient from a different
culture?
Questions about interpersonal boundaries:
When do you think it is appropriate to touch a patient (apart from during a physical
examination)?
When do you use a chaperone when examining a patient?
How do you deal with any feelings of sexual attraction you might have towards a patient?
Questions about communications with colleagues:
How would you describe the relationship between yourself and other doctors in the area?
Do you meet with other doctors regularly in a peer discussion group? Which colleagues do you
discuss problem cases with?
How do you assess your own communication skills (eg, feedback)?
DM1183293
May 2013