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Communication, 5th Edition

Core Interpersonal Skills for Healthcare Professionals
Author :
Gjyn O'Toole
Date of Publication: 09/2024
Essential guide to better communication in practice Communication is a core skill for all healthcare professionals, regardless of their specific discipline. The fifth edition of Communication: Core Interpersonal Skills for Healthcare Professionals p ...view more

Essential guide to better communication in practice

Communication is a core skill for all healthcare professionals, regardless of their specific discipline. The fifth edition of Communication: Core Interpersonal Skills for Healthcare Professionals provides a comprehensive introduction that will be invaluable for students undertaking any training program in health.

The book guides students toward an understanding of all the basic communication techniques and skills they will need in practice. They will learn to develop self-awareness about the impact their words and actions might have on others, use a person-centred model to reconstruct their communication style and approach, and then apply their new knowledge and skills to real-life scenarios.

Easy to read and logically ordered over four sections, this book will guide students towards developing lifelong communication skills that will ultimately enable optimal person-centred care, successful therapeutic relationships and positive patient outcomes.

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Essential guide to better communication in practice

Communication is a core skill for all healthcare professionals, regardless of their specific discipline. The fifth edition of Communication: Core Interpersonal Skills for Healthcare Professionals provides a comprehensive introduction that will be invaluable for students undertaking any training program in health.

The book guides students toward an understanding of all the basic communication techniques and skills they will need in practice. They will learn to develop self-awareness about the impact their words and actions might have on others, use a person-centred model to reconstruct their communication style and approach, and then apply their new knowledge and skills to real-life scenarios.

Easy to read and logically ordered over four sections, this book will guide students towards developing lifelong communication skills that will ultimately enable optimal person-centred care, successful therapeutic relationships and positive patient outcomes.


Key Features
  • A focus on person-centred care and culturally responsive communication

  • Assists students to reflect on their personal communication style and habits, then learn and practise strategies and skills to enhance future communication in practice

  • Builds confidence in communication through activities, scenarios and case studies

  • Explores communication with Indigenous peoples to improve healthcare outcomes

  • Includes digital communication – overviews and tips on navigating professional and personal electronic media

  • Scenarios, case studies, individual and group activities, role-plays and end-of-chapter questions support learning

  • Straightforward language makes learning accessible for students in all health disciplines

  • Student and instructor resources, including a quiz, semester planner and a tutorial guide contribute to engaging students


New to this edition


  • New chapter on the requirements of communication within multidisciplinary or interprofessional teams

  • Fully updated to reflect the latest research

  • Updated references throughout the text to reflect current discussion and requirements of communication in healthcare


Instructor resources on Evolve:


  • PowerPoint slides

  • Semester planner

  • Tutorial activities

  • Testbank (MCQs)

  • Image collection


Student and Instructor resources on Evolve:


  • Answers to end-of-chapter review questions
  • Student quiz (MCQ + T/F)


*This text is supported by Stories in Health Communication, 1st Edition, a collection of 12 short videos demonstrating effective and ineffective scenarios of communication.
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Author Information
By Gjyn O'Toole, DipTEFL, DipOccThy, BA, MEdStud, Senior Lecturer Occupational Therapy (retired), The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia