Communication Skills Including the CLASS protocol Dr Robert

Communication Skills Including the C-L-A-S-S protocol Dr Robert Buckman & Dr Walter Baile

Communication Skills PATIENT = PERSON + DISEASE (SITUATION = PERSON + PROBLEM)

Communication Skills The C-L-A-S-S approach is a STRATEGY not a SCRIPT

Communication Skills Scripts don’t work because: they turn what should be DIALOGUE into a PERFORMANCE which means that the other person becomes your audience instead of a participator

Communication Skills The key to being a successful and effective communicator is: responding to what is happening in the interview - and therefore showing the other person that you are sensitive to what is going on

Communication Skills Ø Communication Skills are NOT â a substitute for making the right decisions â a substitute for sorting out problems â a universal panacea â a short-cut â a sure-fire script â psycho-babble

Communication Skills Ø Communication Skills ARE part of the art of your job - something ELSE you have to do nowadays â an instrument â a way of decreasing chances of litigation â a way of decreasing chances of burnout â mostly courtesy & common-sense â

Communication Skills Ø Effective listening (C-L-A-S-S) â C - Context â L - Listening skills â A - Addressing emotions â S - Strategy â S - Summary

Communication Skills Ø CONTEXT ä Physical Context ä Body Language ä Eye Contact (“not when hot”)

Communication Skills Ø LISTENING Skills ä Silence ä Repetition ä Others

Communication Skills Ø ADDRESSING EMOTIONS: The Empathic Response â Identify the emotion (theirs or yours) â Identify the source of the emotion â Respond in a way that shows you have made that connection T T You don’t have to feel the emotion yourself You don’t have to agree with the viewpoint

Communication Skills Ø E-V-E The key to addressing emotions Each response should be one of these äEXPLORING äVALIDATING äEMPATHIC

Communication Skills Ø (Management) STRATEGY â Make sure you understand the other person’s shopping list â Evaluate what you can realistically do (and be seen to do that) â Blend the blendable elements

Communication Skills Ø SUMMARY ä Summarise main areas ä “Any other issues at the moment? ” ä Contract for contact

Communication Skills Ø Techniques that may help with conflict resolution: â Acknowledge all emotions (theirs & yours) using empathic responses â Try to disinvest in the outcome â Restate. Define unresolved areas â Discuss it with a colleague

Communication Skills PATIENT = PERSON + DISEASE (SITUATION = PERSON + PROBLEM)

Communication Skills more information (bibliography, articles, books CDROMs, videos, Pocket Guide, William Hurt video) drbuckman. com