Talking to Cancer Patients

Effective communication with patients suffering from cancer and their relatives is essential for providing the best possible standards of care. This practical guide will help you to improve your ability to recognize and respond to the physical, psychological, and spiritual problems which cancer patients experience. For the first time in one volume, practical guidelines which have proven efficiency over years in clinical practice are presented. Real dialogues illustrate a clear model of eliciting, assessing, and responding to patients' needs and concerns with an emphasis primarily on the skills and strategies needed for effective communication between health professionals and patients trying to adapt to a fear-provoking diagnosis and an uncertain future. The book also provides invaluable guidance on how to deal with your own emotional responses to the challenges faced in working with seriously ill people. Everyone who cares for cancer patients will benefit from the sympathetic yet practical advice offered in this book.