Tips for Effective Communication: A Vital Tool for Trust Development in Healthcare (E-Copy)

The reality is that the common communication style of most clinicians, although polite, pleasant, professional, and nonthreatening, has been insufficient in improving current statistics. Regardless of how nonthreatening a clinician’s approach is, many patients still view the clinician as an authoritative figure, and thus they are more likely to feel intimidated by the clinician’s presence. This can become a contributory factor to the patient’s reservations during consultation visits. It means that more information needs to be made available to assist clinicians in developing specific communication skills that are applicable to the various patients they encounter each day in the health care system.