This book provides anaesthetists, intensivists and other critical care staff with a comprehensive resource that offers ways of improving communication in everyday clinical practice, and provides practical communication tools that can be used in difficult or unfamiliar circumstances. It demonstrates how communication can be structured to improve patient care and safety with numerous practical examples and vignettes illustrating how the concepts discussed can be integrated into clinical practice, and presents ideas in a way that enhances clinical interactions with patients and colleagues and facilitate the teaching of trainees. Edited by practising anaesthetists with particular expertise in teaching communication, and with contributions from expert clinicians based in North America, Europe and Australasia, this book will stimulate and complement the development of comprehensive resources for communication skills teaching in anaesthesia and other related professional groups. Provides a range of practical communication tools which can help to improve patient care Features real life clinical examples of how different communication techniques are used, enabling the reader to utilize these skills in their own clinical practice Includes numerous practical examples and vignettes illustrating how the concepts discussed can be integrated into clinical practice Written by practising anaesthetists with expertise in teaching communication, and with expert contributing authors from North America, Europe and Australasia, making the content applicable to a worldwide readership Each chapter begins with an outline of contents, and ends with a helpful Key Points summary Allan M. Cyna , Consultant Anaesthetist, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, Marion I. Andrew , Consultant Anaesthetist, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, Suyin G. M. Tan , Senior Staff Specialist, Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Nepean Hospital, New South Wales, Australia, and Andrew F. Smith , Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, UK CONTENTS SECTION I Principles of Communication 1: Stavros Prineas, Andrew Smith, Suyin Tan: To begin.... 2: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew, Suyin Tan: Structures 3: Allan Cyna, Elvira Lang: How words hurt 4: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew, Suyin Tan: Language and the subconscious 5: Audrey Shafer: Narrative and Metaphor SECTION II Routine Clinical Applications 6: Vince Kopp: The pre-anaesthetic visit 7: Alan Merry, Sally Merry: Consent 8: Andrew Smith, Allan Cyna, Suyin Tan: Perioperative care SECTION III Specific clinical contexts 9: Marion Andrew, Allan Cyna: The obstetric patient 10: David Sainsbury, Allan Cyna: The paediatric patient 11: Daniel Nethercott, Maire Shelly: Critical care 12: Diana Strange Khursandi: When bad things happen 13: Gillian Hood, Suyin Tan: Patients with special needs 14: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew: Needle phobia 15: Christel Bejenke: Intra-operative awareness SECTION IV Communication with colleagues 16: Stavros Prineas: Safety-critical communication 17: Suyin Tan, Andy McWilliam: The theatre team 18: Susie Richmond, Andrew Smith, Suyin Tan: Teaching and research 19: Scott Simmons: Administrators SECTION V Advanced Communication Techniques 20: Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville, Christel Bejenke, Ernil Hansen: Hypnotic techniques
