Handbook of Communication in Anaesthesia & Critical Care: A Practical Guide to Exploring the Art

This book provides anaesthetists, intensivists and other critical care staff with a comprehensive resource that offers ways of improving communication in everyday clinical practice, and provides practical communication tools that can be used in difficult or unfamiliar circumstances. It demonstrates how communication can be structured to improve patient care and safety with numerous practical examples and vignettes illustrating how the concepts discussed can be integrated into clinical practice, and presents ideas in a way that enhances clinical interactions with patients and colleagues and facilitate the teaching of trainees. Edited by practising anaesthetists with particular expertise in teaching communication, and with contributions from expert clinicians based in North America, Europe and Australasia, this book will stimulate and complement the development of comprehensive resources for communication skills teaching in anaesthesia and other related professional groups.

Table of Contents:
SECTION I Principles of Communication 1: Stavros Prineas, Andrew Smith, Suyin Tan: To begin.... 2: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew, Suyin Tan: Structures 3: Allan Cyna, Elvira Lang: How words hurt 4: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew, Suyin Tan: Language and the subconscious 5: Audrey Shafer: Narrative and Metaphor SECTION II Routine Clinical Applications 6: Vince Kopp: The pre-anaesthetic visit 7: Alan Merry, Sally Merry: Consent 8: Andrew Smith, Allan Cyna, Suyin Tan: Perioperative care SECTION III Specific clinical contexts 9: Marion Andrew, Allan Cyna: The obstetric patient 10: David Sainsbury, Allan Cyna: The paediatric patient 11: Daniel Nethercott, Maire Shelly: Critical care 12: Diana Strange Khursandi: When bad things happen 13: Gillian Hood, Suyin Tan: Patients with special needs 14: Allan Cyna, Marion Andrew: Needle phobia 15: Christel Bejenke: Intra-operative awareness SECTION IV Communication with colleagues 16: Stavros Prineas: Safety-critical communication 17: Suyin Tan, Andy McWilliam: The theatre team 18: Susie Richmond, Andrew Smith, Suyin Tan: Teaching and research 19: Scott Simmons: Administrators SECTION V Advanced Communication Techniques 20: Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville, Christel Bejenke, Ernil Hansen: Hypnotic techniques

About the Author :
Dr Cyna is a Consultant Anaesthetist, Supervisor of Anaesthesia Research at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. He graduated from the University of Leicester Medical School and trained in Anaesthesia in the UK and Baltimore, USA. He worked as a consultant anaesthetist in Hartlepool, UK prior to emigrating to Australia 12 years ago. He has research and teaching interests in obstetrics and paediatric anaesthesia. He is a member of the Australian Society of Hypnosis and is actively involved in teaching anaesthetists, clinicians, nursing, midwifery and other clinical staff, including psychologists, communication and hypnosis techniques as an adjunct to their practice. Dr Andrew is a Senior Consultant Anaesthetist, and a Supervisor of Training at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide. She completed her undergraduate medical training in Manchester, UK and her postgraduate anaesthesia training in Australia. Her main work interests include teaching and research. She is a member of the Australian Society of Hypnosis and is a certified trainer in the Process Communication Model. Dr Tan is a Senior Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at the Nepean Hospital in Sydney, Australia. She has a subspecialty interest in acute and chronic pain management. She is a graduate of the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK and was a consultant anaesthetist at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary prior to emigrating to Australia in 1998. She has a longstanding interest in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in anaesthesia and communication. Dr Smith is consultant anaesthetist and Director of the Patient Safety Research Unit, Royal Lancaster Infirmary. He has a longstanding interest in the quality and safety of anaesthetic care and anaesthesia education.

Review :
Overall, this is an excellent resource on effective communication in healthcare. It brings up interesting communication concerns with patients interacting with anesthesiologists in different clinical contexts and it reminds one to prioritize patient perceptions that will allow patient autonomy and cooperation and decrease patient anxiety. This is an excellent introductory book on communication for trainee or consultant anaesthetists aiming to fine tune their interactions and teaching prowess ...suprisingly refreshing from the outset...I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to specialist registrars and consultants in respiratory medicine - go out and get a copy for your department. I enjoyed reading this book, and I have gained lots of useful tips from doing so... the book has a lot to offer the interested reader and would make an excellent addition to any bookshelf or departmental library. This is an excellent introductory book on communication for trainee or consultant anaesthetists aiming to fine tune their interactions and teaching prowess. It certainly forms a solid platform for those interested in reading further into these areas. Books like this can very often appear too 'fluffy' to the palate, but this one is surprisingly refreshing from the outset.