Communication Skills

Practical Plans for Difficult Conversations in Medicine Robert Buckman, MD, Ph.D.

Practical Plans for Difficult Conversations is about communication techniques for difficult situations. In it Dr. Buckman offers clinicians a series of strategies to start and develop a dialogue with the patient. Dr. Buckman's current book, How to Break Bad News (considered the gold standard for doctor-patient communication about adverse news), sets out the six-point SPIKES protocol, the foundation of which is finding out what the patient knows or thinks of the medical situation before discussing it. Since the SPIKES protocol isn't appropriate for all situations (such as disclosing medical error), Dr. Buckman outlines in the new book a discussion of five additional protocols: SPOKES, CONES, HARD, SAFER, and CONERS.

Includes:

• Book
• Free DVD
• Free Pocket Guide

• BOOK: $32.95

A Practical Guide to Communication Skills in Clinical Practice 1998 - Robert Buckman, MD, Walter Baile, MD, Barbara Korsch, MD

A set of 4 CD ROMs or 5 DVDs constituting a comprehensive guide to communication skills including how to break bad news, with over 40 filmed scenarios demonstrating practical ways in which communication techniques can improve patient care and support.

Includes:

• Communication Skills - The Basics
• Dealing With Feelings
• Breaking Bad News
• Special or Difficult Situations
• Children and Their Parents
• Uncovering the Hidden Problem
• Palliative Care and End-of Life Issues
• Genetic Testing and Counselling

...should be valuable for a variety of healthcare practitioners at virtually all levels of training. - JAMA, Vol. 282, No. 13

Endorsed by:

• CD ROM: (4 discs) $ 250.00
• DVD: (5 discs) $ 399.00

A Practical Guide to Communication Skills in Cancer Care 2000 - Robert Buckman, MD, Walter Baile, MD

A set of 3 CD ROMs or 5 videotapes offering the clinician a complete overall guide to communication skills and techniques relevant to the care of the cancer patient. Includes over 30 videotaped interviews with simulated patients.

Basic Principles

• First Line (Diagnosis and First Treatment)
• Difficult Situations
• Disease Progression
• Genetic Counseling
• Error Disclosure
• Telephone Conversations
• Aspects of Oncology Nursing
• Patients and Families

• CD ROM: (3 discs) $ 250.00
• VIDEOTAPE: (5 tapes) $ 239.00

How to Deal with Anger and Other Emotions in Adverse Event and Error Disclosure 2004 - Robert Buckman, MD

A set of 2 DVD's with accompanying workbook providing illustrations of strategies for handling difficult interviews about adverse event and error disclosure. Sponsored by the University of Florida and the State of Florida, Agency For Health Care Administration.

I believe it will be a useful reference for hospitals and medical staffs and I will add it to my list of references that they can utilize in the process of improving the safety of their medication systems. - Russell H. Jenkins, MD, Medical Director, Institute of Safe Medication Practices

Endorsed by:

Read a product review which appeared in the ASHRM Journal
View a PDF brochure for this product

• DVD: $ 250.00

Patient-Centered Communication in Pediatric Practice 2001 - Barbara Korsch, MD

A 32 minute videotape providing examples of simple, practical approaches for communicating with patients and families.The taped visits, showing real patients in diverse settings, emphasize those basic skills that enhance the therapeutic alliance by activating patients and reducing the power gap in the doctor-patient relationship.

Discussion guide for facilitators also included.

• DVD: $ 250.00

TOFFEE 2007 - Lawrence Oppenheimer, MD, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa

This DVD takes a humorous approach to a serious subject - teaching medical students.

• T - Teach
• O - Observe
• F - Feedback (reinforcing)
• F - Feedback (corrective)
• E - Evaluation (student)
• E - Evaluation (teacher)

Clinicians must learn how to teach. This DVD on teaching medicine instructs on how to teach rapidly and effectively in various situations and locations, both how to do it and how not to do it. The use of humour to get the points across makes the DVD immensely entertaining as well as instructional.

TOFFEE was produced by The University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital and High Rock Film Productions.

• DVD: $ 299.00

Word of Mouth 2005 - Robert Buckman, MD, Ph.D; John McComb, BDS, MSc, FRCD(C); Gillian Soskin, DDS, BSc; Vasant Ramlaggan, DDS, H.BSc

A DVD or CD ROM comprising a detailed guide to communication skills for dentists. Sixteen videotaped scenarios utilizing standardized patients (i.e. actors) and real dentists illustrate how communication techniques can improve the dentist-patient relationship. Includes a 21 page workbook.

Sponsored by The Ontario Dental Association

• DVD or CD ROM: $ 150.00

Telling Bad News 2005 - Produced by Children's Hospital of Michigan [25 min]

Produced in cooperation with the Children's Hospital of Michigan, this program addresses the sensitive issue of how healthcare professionals tell patients and their families bad news.

While doctors and nurses are trained in a variety of clinical skills, their education for this role of messenger is usually sadly lacking. In this program, experienced professionals and patients offer valuable insights about how to successfully fulfill the difficult task of having to tell bad news.

In this DVD the viewer will see the following topics discussed:

• Learning compassion and empathy
• The proper setting for telling bad news
• How different family members receive the bad news
• Respecting feelings and emotions
• Making sure the bad news is clearly understood
• Do's and Don'ts for delivering bad news
• The importance of eye contact, silence and attention
• The D words - death and dying
• Dealing with anger, sadness, grief and pain

• DVD: $ 195.00

Pocket Guide to Practical Plans for Difficult Conversations in Medicine 2010 - Robert Buckman, MD, Ph.D

A laminated, 16 panel pocket sized fold-out which summarizes the central techniques of general communication (the C-L-A-S-S ptotocol) and of breaking bad news (the S-P-I-K-E-S protocol).

• POCKET GUIDE: $ 6.00

Communication Skills in Clinical Practice: A Practical Guide

This 16 page booklet, written by Dr. Robert Buckman, MD, PhD, describes two practical protocols that can be used by any healthcare professional to improve communication:

1. The C-L-A-S-S protocol. A basic protocol that underlies all medical interviews.

2. The S-P-I-K-E-S protocol. A protocol for breaking bad news.

• GUIDE: $ 6.00

Who's Talking? 1991 - Scripted and presented by Dr. Robert Buckman [45 min]

A unique video series about vital communication skills in the medical field. With assistance from the comedy duo Struck Off and Die.

The three videos in this series use humour, discussion and role play to cover important communication topics such as:

• The right physical context of the patient interview
• Importance of being a good listener & encouraging the patient to talk
• Assessing the impact of the illness on the patient

• U.K. VHS VIDEOTAPE: 3 X 15:00 min. $ 250.00

The Breast Exam: Essential Physical Examination and Communication Skills Produced by the Program in Communication and Medicine at Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago [1997]

This video discusses the purpose of the breast exam and demonstrates proper exam technique. It also discusses the important topic of communication with the patient, primarily the "talk before touch" approach and feedback after the examination

• DVD: 20 minutes $ 150.00

The Pelvic Exam: Essential Physical Examination and Communication Skills [2000]

This video discusses the purpose of the pelvic exam and the proper exam setting and technique. Communication with the patient is emphasized, primarily the "talk before touch" approach and feedback after the examination.

• DVD: 20 minutes $ 150.00