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Clinical Communication Handbook
J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol (2003) 16:119–121
Book Reviews Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Second Edition. Edited by Sue Ellen Koehler Carpenter, MD & John A. Rock MD. ISBN 0-7817-1781-7, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2000, 529 pp. Reviewed by Joan R. Griffith, MD, MHA, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book was written for clinicians who perform gynecologic evaluations of infants, children, and adolescents. The information presented in the 29 chapters of this 529-page book is organized in a systematic, multidisciplinary manner that enhances the continuity among the chapters. The authors’ writing style, diagrams, and tables are clear and easy to understand. Traditional embryology is appropriately interwoven with updated evidence-based data. The chapters are grouped into three main subdivisions: Introduction (chapters 1–4); The Prepubertal Child (chapters 5–11), and The Adolescent (chapters 12–29). The introductory chapters poignantly emphasize the embryological and hormonal influences in genetic differentiation without loss of didactic clarity. Chapter 1 (Genetics of Sexual Differentiation) offers a good review of embryology, with pointed clinical correlation. However, Table 1.1 includes a typo (“medical” tibia condyle vs “medial” tibial condyle), and the footnote for Figure 1.7 omits the reference for the letter “H” used in the diagram. Chapter 7 (Psychological Aspects of Sexual Differentiation Disorders) is an excellent discussion. Chapter 8 (Trauma to the Female Perineum) provides a good summary of the importance of a thorough evaluation of patients with perineal trauma and possible complications. The topics chosen for the third subdivision highlight the critical issues of which a clinician should be cognizant in order to adeptly evaluate pediatric and adolescent patients. Chapters 12 (The Menstrual Cycle), 13 (Adolescent Amenorrhea), and 17 (Hirsutism in the Pediatric or Adolescent Patient) are especially well done. In summary, the editors concisely review the key areas of pediatric and adolescent gynecology. The information is adequately referenced and reflects appropriate use of contemporary evidence-based data. Overall, this book is an outstanding reference for residents and generalists. doi:10.1016/S1083-3188(03)00005-6
쑖 2003 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
Clinical Communication Handbook. Melissa Piasecki, MD. ISBN 0-632-04646-5, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom, 107 pp. Reviewed by Rebecca L. Collins, MD, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book is written as a handbook for students and clinicians who are interested in improving communication with patients. The main focus of the book is to teach and improve communication between physician and patient, but it could be generalized to any health professional who deals with patients. The author points out that medical students spend countless hours learning procedures such as auscultation of the chest and palpation of the abdomen but spend little time being instructed on the most used and most critical of procedures in medicine—the patient interview. The necessary skills for this procedure are communication skills, and this book very efficiently describes how these skills can be learned and improved upon. Much of the text is based on a workshop manual, “Clinicianpatient communication to enhance outcomes,” that was developed from workshops given by the Bayer Institute in Health Care Communication. One of the purposes of the book is to disseminate the information to people who would not have the opportunity to attend the workshops. This book is useful not only to the rookie medical student still in training but also to the seasoned physician who needs to improve upon communication skills, enabling enhancement of the patient-physician relationship and, ultimately, improved patient care. It gives a very practical approach with many vignettes for ease of understanding and applicability to different medical settings. The timing of publication is important, considering the recent ruling of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to start implementing competency-based curriculum in all residency programs by July 2003. One of the six areas in which programs must define specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes is “interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other healthprofessionals.” This 107-page handbook can be read in one or two sittings and would serve as an excellent reference and tool to accomplish the formulated competency. 1083-3188/03/$22.00
120
Book Reviews
The book is divided into nine brief, easily read chapters that contain boxes with highlighted information and clinical vignettes with practical examples that finish with key points summarizing each chapter. References are listed at the end of each chapter and are a testimony to the “evidence-based” approach the author took. The references are from reputable sources such as JAMA, Archives of Internal Medicine, and Lancet. Chapter 1 explains why good communication is critical and discusses the advantages of mastering these skills, such as improved patient outcomes, greater physician satisfaction, and decreases in malpractice risk. Chapter 2 describes basics such as appropriate appearance and behavior while maintaining individuality. Chapter 3 discusses how a physician can best spend time to maintain both efficiency and patient satisfaction. Chapters 4 through 7 cover the four “E’s” of a model for clinical communication—engage, empathize, educate, and enlist. Each chapter is succinct and gives specific guidelines for each communication skill. The clinical vignettes are very practical and helpful in clarifying the skills. The author also is careful to cover all types and ages of patients who may be encountered in the medical setting. Chapter 8 discusses the importance of getting feedback for further improvement on communication skills. A specific format with five key elements is described. Standardized patients, videotaped sessions, and patient feedback are discussed. Chapter 9 covers special situation that arise, including cultural and language barriers, giving bad news, psychiatric patients, emotionally out-of-control patients, and difficult patient-physician relationships. In conclusion, the Clinical Communication Handbook is a very practical, easily read, succinct reference that can improve upon the most experienced clinician’s communication skills. Because all physicians have to communicate with patients, regardless of specialty, the book is applicable to all physicians and other health care providers. It also would be invaluable in medical schools and residency training programs as part of a curriculum on communication and interpersonal skills. doi:10.1016/S1083-3188(03)00004-4
Anatomy at a Glance. Omar Faiz & David Moffat, MD. ISBN #0-632-05934-6, Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2002, 172 pp. Reviewed by Joan R. Griffith, MD, MHA, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book was written basically for medical school students and is based on the new guidelines for the study
of anatomy that require medical students to “know only the basic essentials of anatomy with particular emphasis on their clinical relevance.” The information contained in this 172-page book is organized in a systematic manner that is clear and easy to understand. The authors utilize 72 concise, double-page spreads with over 200 well-illustrated color line diagrams and five radiographs to give a terse synopsis of human anatomy. The book highlights some salient clinical implications resulting from injury to organs, vessels, muscles, or nerves, e.g., the greater risk of avascular necrosis in an elderly osteoporotic patient with an intracapsular femoral neck fracture compared to an extracapsular fracture. The book is grouped into seven divisions: The Thorax, The Abdomen & Pelvis, The Upper Limb, The Lower Limb, The Autonomic Nervous System, The Head & Neck, and The Spine & Spinal Cord. Within each division the contiguous blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and structural relationships are outlined. The color line diagrams are quite representative and instructive. The “Thorax” division offers an excellent discussion on the contents of the superior, anterior, middle, and posterior subdivisions of the mediastinum. The colorcoded diagrams clearly delineate each subdivision. The “Abdomen & Pelvic” division is well written, incorporating a simple diagram denoting the difference between indirect and direct inguinal hernias, indications and method of performing a splenectomy, and postsurgery implications. The diagrams of blood vessels, muscles, and nerves of the “Upper Limb” and “Lower Limb” divisions are outstanding and easy to follow, especially Figure 38.1, depicting the cross-section through the carpal tunnel. The discussion of “The Autonomic Nervous System” presents the bare bones of this important system. It provides clinical significance in its cursory explanation of the etiology of Horner’s syndrome and the clinical implication of the severance of the sympathetic trunk above T1 or below L2. The discussions and diagrams in the “Head & Neck” and “Spine & Spinal Cord” divisions are excellent and well worth a review by students and clinicians. A noteworthy inclusion is the six-page Muscle Index, which summarizes the origins, insertions, nerves, and actions of the major muscles in the abdomen, the upper limb, the lower limb, and the head and neck regions. In conclusion, this is a very good reference that can be used as a supplementary, didactic tool for students seeking a cut-to-the-chase rapid review in preparation for an examination. It offers a concise review of the key areas and does not delve into detailed explanatory discussions. Consequently, it cannot be recommended as a primary, stand-alone textbook for a medical school
Book Reviews Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Second Edition. Edited by Sue Ellen Koehler Carpenter, MD & John A. Rock MD. ISBN 0-7817-1781-7, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2000, 529 pp. Reviewed by Joan R. Griffith, MD, MHA, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book was written for clinicians who perform gynecologic evaluations of infants, children, and adolescents. The information presented in the 29 chapters of this 529-page book is organized in a systematic, multidisciplinary manner that enhances the continuity among the chapters. The authors’ writing style, diagrams, and tables are clear and easy to understand. Traditional embryology is appropriately interwoven with updated evidence-based data. The chapters are grouped into three main subdivisions: Introduction (chapters 1–4); The Prepubertal Child (chapters 5–11), and The Adolescent (chapters 12–29). The introductory chapters poignantly emphasize the embryological and hormonal influences in genetic differentiation without loss of didactic clarity. Chapter 1 (Genetics of Sexual Differentiation) offers a good review of embryology, with pointed clinical correlation. However, Table 1.1 includes a typo (“medical” tibia condyle vs “medial” tibial condyle), and the footnote for Figure 1.7 omits the reference for the letter “H” used in the diagram. Chapter 7 (Psychological Aspects of Sexual Differentiation Disorders) is an excellent discussion. Chapter 8 (Trauma to the Female Perineum) provides a good summary of the importance of a thorough evaluation of patients with perineal trauma and possible complications. The topics chosen for the third subdivision highlight the critical issues of which a clinician should be cognizant in order to adeptly evaluate pediatric and adolescent patients. Chapters 12 (The Menstrual Cycle), 13 (Adolescent Amenorrhea), and 17 (Hirsutism in the Pediatric or Adolescent Patient) are especially well done. In summary, the editors concisely review the key areas of pediatric and adolescent gynecology. The information is adequately referenced and reflects appropriate use of contemporary evidence-based data. Overall, this book is an outstanding reference for residents and generalists. doi:10.1016/S1083-3188(03)00005-6
쑖 2003 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
Clinical Communication Handbook. Melissa Piasecki, MD. ISBN 0-632-04646-5, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom, 107 pp. Reviewed by Rebecca L. Collins, MD, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book is written as a handbook for students and clinicians who are interested in improving communication with patients. The main focus of the book is to teach and improve communication between physician and patient, but it could be generalized to any health professional who deals with patients. The author points out that medical students spend countless hours learning procedures such as auscultation of the chest and palpation of the abdomen but spend little time being instructed on the most used and most critical of procedures in medicine—the patient interview. The necessary skills for this procedure are communication skills, and this book very efficiently describes how these skills can be learned and improved upon. Much of the text is based on a workshop manual, “Clinicianpatient communication to enhance outcomes,” that was developed from workshops given by the Bayer Institute in Health Care Communication. One of the purposes of the book is to disseminate the information to people who would not have the opportunity to attend the workshops. This book is useful not only to the rookie medical student still in training but also to the seasoned physician who needs to improve upon communication skills, enabling enhancement of the patient-physician relationship and, ultimately, improved patient care. It gives a very practical approach with many vignettes for ease of understanding and applicability to different medical settings. The timing of publication is important, considering the recent ruling of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to start implementing competency-based curriculum in all residency programs by July 2003. One of the six areas in which programs must define specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes is “interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other healthprofessionals.” This 107-page handbook can be read in one or two sittings and would serve as an excellent reference and tool to accomplish the formulated competency. 1083-3188/03/$22.00
120
Book Reviews
The book is divided into nine brief, easily read chapters that contain boxes with highlighted information and clinical vignettes with practical examples that finish with key points summarizing each chapter. References are listed at the end of each chapter and are a testimony to the “evidence-based” approach the author took. The references are from reputable sources such as JAMA, Archives of Internal Medicine, and Lancet. Chapter 1 explains why good communication is critical and discusses the advantages of mastering these skills, such as improved patient outcomes, greater physician satisfaction, and decreases in malpractice risk. Chapter 2 describes basics such as appropriate appearance and behavior while maintaining individuality. Chapter 3 discusses how a physician can best spend time to maintain both efficiency and patient satisfaction. Chapters 4 through 7 cover the four “E’s” of a model for clinical communication—engage, empathize, educate, and enlist. Each chapter is succinct and gives specific guidelines for each communication skill. The clinical vignettes are very practical and helpful in clarifying the skills. The author also is careful to cover all types and ages of patients who may be encountered in the medical setting. Chapter 8 discusses the importance of getting feedback for further improvement on communication skills. A specific format with five key elements is described. Standardized patients, videotaped sessions, and patient feedback are discussed. Chapter 9 covers special situation that arise, including cultural and language barriers, giving bad news, psychiatric patients, emotionally out-of-control patients, and difficult patient-physician relationships. In conclusion, the Clinical Communication Handbook is a very practical, easily read, succinct reference that can improve upon the most experienced clinician’s communication skills. Because all physicians have to communicate with patients, regardless of specialty, the book is applicable to all physicians and other health care providers. It also would be invaluable in medical schools and residency training programs as part of a curriculum on communication and interpersonal skills. doi:10.1016/S1083-3188(03)00004-4
Anatomy at a Glance. Omar Faiz & David Moffat, MD. ISBN #0-632-05934-6, Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2002, 172 pp. Reviewed by Joan R. Griffith, MD, MHA, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
This book was written basically for medical school students and is based on the new guidelines for the study
of anatomy that require medical students to “know only the basic essentials of anatomy with particular emphasis on their clinical relevance.” The information contained in this 172-page book is organized in a systematic manner that is clear and easy to understand. The authors utilize 72 concise, double-page spreads with over 200 well-illustrated color line diagrams and five radiographs to give a terse synopsis of human anatomy. The book highlights some salient clinical implications resulting from injury to organs, vessels, muscles, or nerves, e.g., the greater risk of avascular necrosis in an elderly osteoporotic patient with an intracapsular femoral neck fracture compared to an extracapsular fracture. The book is grouped into seven divisions: The Thorax, The Abdomen & Pelvis, The Upper Limb, The Lower Limb, The Autonomic Nervous System, The Head & Neck, and The Spine & Spinal Cord. Within each division the contiguous blood vessels, muscles, nerves, and structural relationships are outlined. The color line diagrams are quite representative and instructive. The “Thorax” division offers an excellent discussion on the contents of the superior, anterior, middle, and posterior subdivisions of the mediastinum. The colorcoded diagrams clearly delineate each subdivision. The “Abdomen & Pelvic” division is well written, incorporating a simple diagram denoting the difference between indirect and direct inguinal hernias, indications and method of performing a splenectomy, and postsurgery implications. The diagrams of blood vessels, muscles, and nerves of the “Upper Limb” and “Lower Limb” divisions are outstanding and easy to follow, especially Figure 38.1, depicting the cross-section through the carpal tunnel. The discussion of “The Autonomic Nervous System” presents the bare bones of this important system. It provides clinical significance in its cursory explanation of the etiology of Horner’s syndrome and the clinical implication of the severance of the sympathetic trunk above T1 or below L2. The discussions and diagrams in the “Head & Neck” and “Spine & Spinal Cord” divisions are excellent and well worth a review by students and clinicians. A noteworthy inclusion is the six-page Muscle Index, which summarizes the origins, insertions, nerves, and actions of the major muscles in the abdomen, the upper limb, the lower limb, and the head and neck regions. In conclusion, this is a very good reference that can be used as a supplementary, didactic tool for students seeking a cut-to-the-chase rapid review in preparation for an examination. It offers a concise review of the key areas and does not delve into detailed explanatory discussions. Consequently, it cannot be recommended as a primary, stand-alone textbook for a medical school