Airing Pain 15: Effective Communication: Patients and professionals

Better communication for doctors and patients and how to make the most of medical appointments

Communication is fundamental to the relationship between patient and healthcare professional. In this programme Airing Pain looks at this issue from both the patient and doctor’s point of view. Psychologist David Craig of Glasgow comments on his communication skills training DVD for chronic pain professionals. GP Mark Ritchie explains how depression and chronic pain can be linked, and gives advice on how patients can prepare for medical consultations, using the memory aid: Ideas, Concerns, and Expectations. And finally, we hear from a number of patients about how they effectively broke down any communications barriers with health professionals in order to gain the most that they could from their consultations.

Issues covered in this programme include: Communicating pain, depression, medical consultations, appointment preparation, educating health professionals, GPs, psychology, anxiety, listening to patients and ICE: ideas, concerns and expectations.

Contributors:

• Dr David Craig, Chronic Pain Communication Skills
• Dr Mark Ritchie, Depression and chronic pain
• Marion Beatson, Speaking to a psychologist
• Ron Marsh, Relationship with health professionals
• Michael Morrison, Relationship with health professionals.