Professional Communication and Clinical Skills
Professional Communication and Clinical Skills tests history-taking, empathy, breaking bad news, shared decision-making, interpreter use, and documentation. The exam scores observable behaviors, not only diagnoses.
Core rules
- Open the interview with an open-ended question, then use closed questions for detail.
- Use plain language, avoid jargon, and confirm understanding with teach-back.
- Breaking bad news: prepare, assess what the patient knows, invite questions, give information in chunks, respond to emotion, and summarize next steps.
- Interpreter: speak to the patient, not the interpreter; use a trained interpreter, not a child.
Worked example
A patient is newly diagnosed with tuberculosis. Use a private setting, ask what they already understand, explain the diagnosis and treatment duration plainly, allow silence after the news, and check understanding. Discuss notification, contact screening, and adherence support without blame. Reasoning: clear, empathetic communication improves adherence and reduces stigma.
Traps
- Interrupting early in the history.
- Giving false reassurance instead of acknowledging emotion.
- Using family members as interpreters for sensitive information.
- Documenting conclusions without the patient's words or the plan.