Abstract
Clinical communication is a multidimensional concept, which encompasses the core of effective clinical practice. Communication in cancer patients is particularly challenging and yet a less focused area in cancer care. Various barriers and challenges in communication may affect the management protocol of cancer patients. Challenges may arise in various dimensions of cancer care including breaking bad news to delivery of complex clinical information, determination of appropriate treatment strategies, dealing with uncertainties, end of life counseling as well as cultural and language barriers affecting the whole communication dynamics. Effective communication is the basic foundation for responsive treatment decisions, positive health outcome, patient driven compliance and overall high quality of care. Thus, there is a need for acknowledging and actively deciphering the challenges and developing and promoting various protocols of effective communication skills in cancer patients.
Highlights
IntroductionHow to cite this paper: Hasan, I. and Rashid, T. (2016) Clinical Communication, Cancer Patients & Considerations to Minimize the Challenges
Communication can be defined as a voluntary and purposeful sharing of information between two or more par-How to cite this paper: Hasan, I. and Rashid, T. (2016) Clinical Communication, Cancer Patients & Considerations to Minimize the Challenges
In a retrospective study done in Australia on 16,000 in-hospital deaths, it was found that communication error was the leading cause of death & was twice as frequent as inadequate clinical skills [3]
Summary
How to cite this paper: Hasan, I. and Rashid, T. (2016) Clinical Communication, Cancer Patients & Considerations to Minimize the Challenges. Unlike patients with other medical conditions, the communication with cancer patients are unique due to the fact that there are certain level of uncertainties related to treatment, survival & cure, involvement of various treatment protocols & modalities, interaction of multiple clinicians & change in health care team over time [6] Street et al found seven pathways through which good communication might indirectly lead to better quality of health in cancer patients [15] These include increased health care access, increased patient knowledge and understanding, higher quality of medical decisions, increased social support, enhanced compliance, patient empowerment and improved management of emotions. Any intervention done to maximize the therapeutic effect of communication and overcome the challenges in communication should focus on achieving these proximal & intermediate outcomes
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