Brush up your communication skills
How important are communication skills? The GMC's view
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It's not just me that thinks good communication skills are vital to patient care. The General Medical Council (GMC) has listed, among essential attributes of every independent practitioner regardless of speciality, possession of consultation skills which include ‘skills in sensitive and effective communication with patients and their families’ (GMC, 1993).
Think
Jot down three pieces of evidence that communication skills are important, then see how your answers fit with the evidence on the next page.
Next page: Some evidence on the importance of communication skills
Study guide by: Michael Harris (Department of General Practice, Bath).
Last updated: 31 October 2005