Core competencies in palliative care for surgeons: interpersonal and communication skills. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2007 Dec-2008 Jan;24(6):499-507
Date
01/10/2008Pubmed ID
18182636DOI
10.1177/1049909107310063Scopus ID
2-s2.0-43149123361 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 42 CitationsAbstract
Surgeons are an important part of the multidisciplinary approach to the care of terminally ill and dying patients. Some surgical residencies have recognized the need to incorporate palliative care-related topics into graduate surgical education. One core competency of utmost importance to palliative care is the effective use of interpersonal and communication skills. Four areas of surgical practice are identified where these communication skills are important: during preoperative counseling, when presenting a devastating diagnosis or poor prognosis, when discussing error, and when discussing death. Case examples and recommendations for the appropriate words and actions to use in these scenarios are offered. It is important for both surgeons in practice and those in training to achieve proficiency with these communication skills.
Author List
Bradley CT, Brasel KJMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Advance Care PlanningClinical Competence
Clinical Protocols
Communication
Counseling
Death
Education, Medical, Graduate
General Surgery
Guidelines as Topic
Humans
Medical Errors
Medical Futility
Needs Assessment
Palliative Care
Patient Care Team
Patient Education as Topic
Physician's Role
Physician-Patient Relations
Preoperative Care
Professional-Family Relations
Prognosis
Truth Disclosure
