Communication Skills for Surgeons

About the Book

Historically, communication was described as a secondary, or 'soft skill' for surgeons. Now, astute communication, both with patients and with colleagues, forms a fundamental element of holistic surgical practice and comprises a core component of the 'Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons' that are increasingly recognised in modern surgical practice.

Good communication is required during each patient interaction: history taking, explanation, consent, breaking bad news, and managing difficult encounters such as the demanding or angry patient. Good communication with patients improves patient trust, compliance and overall satisfaction, reduces complaints and malpractice claims.

High quality communication is also fundamental when interacting with colleagues: in theatre, on the ward, whilst making referrals and organising special tests. In the busy schedules of medical professionals, such communication must be succinct and relevant. Team structures must empower all members to speak up, so as to prevent harm being done. Suboptimal communication is a root cause for the majority of serious adverse events. Furthermore, good communication reduces job stress and enhances satisfaction for the surgeon.

Good communication is not an inborn behaviour; it is a learned skill that is based on key principles. Studies have clearly demonstrated that education in communication improves patient outcomes and satisfaction. Several frameworks have been described, to facilitate good communication in certain scenarios: SPIKES for breaking bad news, SBAR for handover, surgical briefs and de-briefs, to name a few.

This textbook will be aimed towards medical students, surgical trainees and surgical consultants internationally. It is relevant to every-day practice, examinations and OSCEs, such as medical finals, MRCS, FRCS and international equivalents, and interviews where role play is often featured.

About the Author: Mr. Benjamin Patel graduated from Oxford University with a first-class degree in 2018. He has been awarded prizes for achievement from Oxford University, The Association of Surgeons in Training, The British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and Healthcare Education England. Deciding to undertake a career in academic surgery, he was ranked in the top 1% of applicants to core surgical training and is a current plastic surgery-themed trainee in Bristol. He has published multiple papers in peer reviewed journals, textbook chapters and presented at scientific conferences internationally. During his Royal College of England Membership examinations, he achieved 97% in the communication domain, compared to an average of 75%

Professor Abhay Rane OBE FRCSGlasg(Urol) graduated from Poona University in India in 1983, and trained in urology in the United Kingdom and the United States. He has been a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust since 1999. He is Visiting Professor at Canterbury Christchurch University, Kent and holds adjunct chairs at two prestigious US Universities: the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. An advisor to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) he has also contributed as the national urology representative to the NICE Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee. A former Council member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS), he represented BAUS at the International Member Committee of the American Urological Association for a decade. He is current Surgical Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and a Director of the Endourology Society. Professor Rane was appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the 2014 Honours List for services to laparoscopic surgery.