Checking understanding

Questions
How might you improve a patient's understanding of her condition?
How do you give a patient a clear and lasting impression of the
management plan?
What difference do you think effective communication might make to
patients beyond the consultation?

Non-verbal communication

Questions
With respect to non-verbal cues, discuss how you could use the
following to enhance communication:
Seating arrangement
Eye contact & facial expression
Posture

Summarising and reflective listening

Questions
How might summarising be of benefit to the clinician and the patient?
How is reflective listening different from summarising?
When might silence be an effective communication tool?

Open questions

Questions - segment 1
What style of questioning was used in this consultation?
Why do health professionals use this style of questioning? What are the
disadvantages?
What is empathy and why is it important to patients and professionals?

Questions - segment 2
What are the differences between this consultation and the last...
In terms of questioning style?
In terms of the effect on the patient?
Give one example of how a closed question might start and contrast this
with an open question.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
How do you convey genuine interest to the patient?

Chronic pain communication skills - the first consultation

This short sequence introduces some of the questions you should consider asking at the first consultation.

Questions:
What questions are important to ask in the first consultation?
What are the different mechanisms of chronic pain?
What do you understand by the biopsychosocial model?

Living with chronic pain - with questions for health professionals

This version of the video has questions and suggestions for further reading.

Questions
What is the impact of chronic pain on the individual and society?
How many people in Europe have chronic pain?
What are the effects of chronic pain on absence from work?
What proportion of patients with chronic pain become unemployed?
What is the cost to the UK economy of chronic pain?
Why is communicating effectively important in managing chronic pain?
What evidence is there that training in communication improves health outcomes?

Further reading
Phillips CJ. The cost and burden of chronic pain. Reviews in Pain 2009;3(1):2-5.

Breivik H, Collett B, Ventafridda V, Cohen R, Gallacher D. Survey of chronic pain in Europe: Prevalence, impact on daily life, and treatment. European Journal of Pain 2006;10(4):287-333.

Griffin SJ, Kinmonth A-L, Veltman MWM, Gillard S, Grant J, Stewart M. Effect on health-related outcomes of interventions to alter the interaction between patients and practitioners: A systematic review of trials. Annals of Family Medicine 2004;2:595-608.