Our CMTC-OVM organization has been participating in the European Reference Networks (ERNs) for many years. We are a member of ERN VASCERN and ERN Skin.
Within ERN VASCERN, there is a Transversal Psychology Working Group, of which we are also a part. Together with a European team, primarily consisting of psychologists, we have worked on a booklet aimed at improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients & caregivers. Here is the result.
We humans are communicative beings, and communication is a very important aspect of our lives.
In medicine, communication is a crucial factor in how situations progress. Good communication, even on difficult topics such as severe disease and death, can deepen trust and strengthen the bond between humans in roles of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. It is a privilege for healthcare professionals to be able to discuss these important topics with patients and caregivers, and at the same time it is a responsibility.
Every communication, big or small, is an opportunity to help patients and caregivers. Good communication, even about difficult topics, can leave the patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals feeling satisfied, if not happy. On the contrary, poor communication on these topics can have lasting negative effects on both sides.
We created this toolkit booklet because many of us authors would have appreciated learning more about good and effective communication when we first started working with patients. We also know from our patients that poor communication, unfortunately, still happens today.
This short booklet brings together the key points that, in our experience and according to the literature, are most helpful for an effective communication. We hope this booklet fulfils this purpose. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for further improvement.