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KEY POINTS
Good communication is a key requirement of patient-centered care that addresses patients’ needs and wants.
Nonverbal communication contributes to how individuals understand each other, especially when feelings are expressed.
Each mode of communication, eg, in-person, telephone, and telehealth, have unique communication requirements.
Building rapport with patients is critical for helping them feel comfortable with medication therapy management (MTM) services and providers.
Asking patients both open-ended and closed-ended questions helps elicit the information needed to understand their perspectives and conditions.
To listen well, the listener must be engaged, noticing nuances of what is said, observing and attending to nonverbal cues, and providing useful responses to the speaker.
Choosing to listen to patients in order to understand them and then communicating that understanding back to them is patient-centered.
Empathic responding explicitly acknowledges the emotional aspect of what has been said and the reason for such emotion.
A service script can be a very useful tool for any pharmacy service activity requiring standardization for quality assurance purposes.
When you are personally selling your MTM service, believing in the service and being confident are key.
The way in which an interview or consultation is organized can be improved by using transitions, orientation, cues, and summarizing.
According to a 2003 nationwide study (the National Assessment of Adult Literacy), only 12% of the over 19 000 adults surveyed were found to be “proficient” in health literacy, and only 3% of those 65 years and older demonstrated proficiency.
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a communication technique and philosophy of helping individuals with behavioral change.
Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a successful technique for addressing alcohol and other substance use with patients. SBIRT stands for screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment.
Working effectively with people who have lower incomes and who experience generational poverty takes a deep appreciation for, and knowledge of, the characteristics of this group as well as those who experience situational poverty and members of the middle class.
The mnemonic Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) is a useful framework when speaking with prescribers. It stands for situation, background, assessment, and recommendation.
Developing a working collaborative relationship with a physician is a multistage process.
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Good communication is important for patient-centered care that addresses patients’ needs and wants.1 A whitepaper by the Joint Commission Public Policy Initiative presents a call to action to improve patient-professional communication and cites patient safety concerns as well as the need to communicate effectively with patients and to improve health outcomes across the continuum of care.2 Taking time to reflect on and improve personal communication skills as part of the medication therapy management (MTM) program can help providers deliver the highest level of patient-centered care. This chapter gives an overview of how to effectively and efficiently communicate when providing MTM services, including data gathering, discussion, and responding to difficult situations; it is not intended to ...