Author Description

Communication in healthcare is a core clinical skill essential to effective clinical diagnosis, treatment decision-making and achievement of optimal patient outcomes. Research has demon- strated strong positive relationships between health professionals' communication skills and patients' capacity to understand, recall and follow medical recommendations, self-manage chronic ill- nesses, and adopt preventive health behaviors [1e6]. In addition, studies have shown that the clinician's ability to listen and empa- thize with patients' emotions can have a profound effect on pa- tients' psychological and functional outcomes, as well as their experience of, and satisfaction with, care [7,8].