Doctor–patient relationship and communication

Relationship models, interviewing, bad news (SPIKES), motivational interviewing and culture.

7 pages

Technique

• Breaking bad news: the SPIKES protocolSPIKES is a six-step guide for giving bad news clearly and respectfully, with room for the…
• Communication skills: open questions, empathy and teach-backListening well, naming emotions and checking that the patient understood are concrete skills…
• Shared decision-makingWhen there is more than one reasonable option, patient and clinician compare them and choose…

Topic

• Culture, explanatory models and interpretersEach person understands their illness through their culture; asking for that explanation and…
• Difficult encounters: anger, demands and boundariesSome encounters are tense; noticing your own reaction, validating the emotion and setting clear…

Concept

• Health literacyIt is the ability to find, understand and use health information; when it is low, there are more…

Theory

• Models of the doctor–patient relationship and patient-centred careThere are several ways to share power and decisions between doctor and patient; today the…

A to Z

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• R
• S
• T

← Medical psychology and behavioral science

Educational content on behavior and the clinical relationship; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for assessment by a health professional. If you or someone near you is at risk, seek help now from an emergency service or a mental-health helpline.

Representative model, for educational purposes only.