This course is open to Specialty Doctors from all Scottish Health Boards

An immersive, interactive clinical communication workshop for Scottish Specialist, Associate Specialist and Specialty Doctors and Dentists which equips participants with the skills and confidence to have better conversations in challenging circumstances.

Overview

Working in a small peer group, participants will address communication challenges drawn from their own clinical practice, management and teaching roles. Common challenges addressed during the programme commonly include:

• Complex, shared decision-making & informed consent
• Handling anger, emotional distress, collusion or denial
• Addressing and preventing complaints
• Being open about adverse events
• Discussing goals of care, levels of intervention and CPR status
• Communication in teams and effective handover

Learning Outcomes

This clinical communication workshop offers participants the opportunity to:

• Learn about psychological approaches that will help to improve your confidence in managing difficult conversations
• Identify personal learning objectives and develop strategies for addressing these within the peer learning group.
• Understanding how to take account of patient/carer/colleague perspectives.
• Identify and practise ways of increasing your effectiveness.
• Exchange ideas and experiences with colleagues from other specialties

Pre-workshop preparation

Workshop participants have found it useful to think about how they currently communicate and what situations are particularly challenging. As the workshop is based on participants’ own situations we will be asking what you would like to work on.

Please complete the pre-workshop evaluation as soon as possible as we use this information to plan the content of your workshop

Tutor Team

Dr Ruth Anderson

EC4H Tutor

Dr Ruth Anderson is a Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine working within NHS Lanarkshire.  Ruth joined the EC4H tutor team in 2024. 

Dr Nuala McQuillan

EC4H Tutor

Dr Nuala McQuillan is Locum Consultant in Geriatric Medicine.  Nuala completed her EC4H tutor training in September 2024.