You can’t use the same exact skills to communicate with a patient that you use with a colleague. (Hint: don’t say ‘You’re not a failure.’)

Today our blog welcomes a special guest! Check out why Taylene wants her clinicians to ask “What’s important to you?” Then tell us your favorite tip for eliciting values @vitaltalk.

Communication can be a little slippery to explain–and we’ve all described it, unhelpfully, as ‘just what I do.” Caroline Hurd MD (a terrific physician, educator, and VitalTalk Associate) explains why learning to see individual skills is so powerful.

Why didn’t this trial of informational meetings for families in the ICU improve outcomes? Alex Smith at GeriPal tweeted ‘no need for fast-food style consults’, and we agree: supersizing the information delivery isn’t the answer–it might be part of the problem. But there’s a better way…

Our new app takes a fresh approach: think of it as a stack of flashcards with handy phrases, sorted by topic. You can use it as a handy pocket reference. But the app does also does something unique: it sends you a daily notification about a new skill to try! Swipe on the daily notification […]

A VitalTalk extra from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2016 meeting in Chicago: two must-read articles–an editorial to send your oncology friends in JAMA, & one by a VitalTalk alum in the New York Times (Tim Gilligan writes about what to ask patients about prognosis) followed by a tip about how to know when you shouldn’t ask another […]

How can you stay present in a challenging encounter? It’s not a matter of forcing yourself–in fact, what helps is quite different: you step back for a moment, regain your footing, and step back in.

Understanding just 3 elements of family functioning can enable you to be much more effective in the setup and followup to a complex family conference. You’ll need to be fluent in the communication skills for serious illness that we’ve discussed earlier–but these 3 elements open up new tools. For those of you who have ever […]

What’s different about communication when you’re with a colleague? Two tips that will keep you out of trouble. The new poll that I mention, involving over 700 physicians nationally in February 2016, is worth checking out here. And when you’re in Seattle, sip your espresso with the hipsters here.

When you are with a patient whose emotions are running high, acknowledging their emotion by naming it can help that person move forward in the conversation.  But there are pitfalls with naming too – see what we recommend to make your NURSE statements more effective!