Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication

Acknowledgments

Preface

Part I: The Landscape
Chapter 1: Building the Case for Communication and Relationships
Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 2: Communication and Patient Experience
Peter R. Lichstein, MD, FACP, FACH, Professor of Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Diane Sliwka, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Patient and Provider Experience, University of California, San Francisco

Part II: The Fundamental Skill Sets

Chapter 3: Skill Set One: The Beginning of the Encounter
Auguste H. Fortin VI, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, and Lynnea Mills, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 4: Skill Set Two: Skills That Build Trust
William D. Clark, MD, DocCom Editor Emeritus, and Matthew Russell, MD, Medical Director, Community Living Center and Associate Chief of Geriatrics and Extended Care, VA Boston Healthcare

Chapter 5: Skill Set Three: Delivering Diagnoses and Treatment Plans
Carol M. Chou, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Part III: Practical Applications of the Skill Sets

Chapter 6: Challenging Conversations with Patients
Jenni Levy, MD, FACH, President, American Academy on Communication in Healthcare

Chapter 7: The Skill Sets and the Electronic Health Record
Pamela Duke, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine

Chapter 8: Patient Engagement and Motivational Interviewing
Krista M. Hirschmann, PhD, CEO, FlinCare, and Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 9: Shared Decision-Making
Nan Cochran, MD, FACH, Associate Professor, The Dartmouth Institute and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 10: Feedback: A Commitment to the Relationship
Ryan Laponis, MD, MSci, FACH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 11: Appreciative Coaching: "I Want to Be Known as the Clinician Who..."
Maysel Kemp White, PhD, MFT, FACH, Healthcare Quality and Communication Improvement, LLC, and Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 12: Communicating Effectively on Healthcare Teams
James R. Bell, MS, PA-C, Assistant Professor, Daemen College, and Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 13: Challenging Conversations with Colleagues
Nan Cochran, MD, FACH, Associate Professor, The Dartmouth Institute and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Chapter 14: Culture and Diversity
Denise L. Davis, MD, FACH, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Chapter 15: Communicating Across Hierarchy
Timothy Gilligan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice-Chair for Education, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, and Kara Myers, CNM, MS, Clinical Professor, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

Part IV: Instituting Communication Initiatives

Chapter 16: Teaching the Skill Sets
R. Ellen Pearlman, MD, Associate Dean for Advanced Clinical Learning, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine

Chapter 17: Developing Facilitators in Train-the-Trainer Programs: Establishing Local Influence
Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, FACH, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, and Laura Cooley, PhD, Senior Director of Education and Outreach, Academy of Communication in Healthcare

Chapter 18: Implementation and Planning: Supporti

A proven prescription for effective communication that will empower health professionals to deliver the highest quality care?from the Academy of Communication in Healthcare 

Research shows that nothing impacts patient experiences more than the quality of communication. While beneficial, the latest in cutting-edge technology and techniques aren’t enough to ensure the best possible care for patients. The key to better healthcare outcomes is communication. 

Over the past four decades, the Academy of Communication in Healthcare has worked tirelessly with health systems, teaching communication skills that put relationships—between patients and providers, as well as among providers—at the center of care. Now, for the first time, ACH’s proven and effective methodology is detailed in this invaluable step-by-step guide. You’ll learn communication skills that will enable you to:

* Provide more accurate diagnoses and effective treatments—and improve patient outcomes

* Boost patient adherence and lower hospital readmission rates 

* Make fewer errors and reduce malpractice risks 

* Increase patient satisfaction and build teamwork among providers

* Further develop your communication skill set—and help others do the same

In this practical—and potentially life-saving—volume, you’ll discover special sections on teamwork, coaching, shared decision-making, feedback, conflict engagement, diversity, and communicating through hierarchy. The book also provides institutional initiatives to help you implement change in your organization and outlines a field-tested blueprint for healthier communication across the entire industry.

To create effective communication and meaningful connections in healthcare, trust ACH. Communication is literally its middle name.