Dan J Stein, Steven J Shoptaw, Daniel V Vigo, Crick Lund, Pim Cuijpers, Jason Bantjes, Norman Sartorius, Mario Maj
Psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in the 21st century: paradigm shifts versus incremental integration
World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)
good communication skills healthcare professionals acknowledged core competency consequences poor communication wellrecognised far reaching costs including reduced treatment compliance higher psychological morbidity incorrect delayed diagnoses increased complaints simple skills secrets visual easily memorised model communication healthcare staff respond distress unanswerable questions patients families colleagues explore impact simple skills secrets model communication training general healthcare workforce evaluation methodology encompassing quantitative pre postcourse testing confidence willingness conversations distressed patients carers colleagues qualitative semistructured telephone interviews participants 68 weeks post course evaluation 153 staff undertook training 149 completed pre posttraining questionnaire purposive sampling approach adopted follow qualitative interviews 14 agreed participate statistically significant improvement willingness confidence categories overall confidence score t14815607 p005 overall willingness score t14810878 p005 greatest improvement confidence communicating carers precourse mean 6171 post course mean 8171 statistical significant difference registered support staff several themes obtained qualitative data including method communicating differently structured approach thinking differently additional skills value model clinical practice reported model suggested increasing confidence staff dealing myriad situations handled appropriately lead increased patient carers satisfaction empowering staff appears increased willingness undertake conversations could lead earlier intervention minimise distress