Communicators form relationships with patients, families, communities, colleagues and members of interprofessional teams to facilitate gathering and sharing essential knowledge and create plans for effective care. Communicator involves all verbal and non-verbal actions in encounters. As Communicators, learners invoke a professional approach to all discussions using verbal and non-verbal skills, written text, and illustrations to convey information, including social and electronic media.
1. Develop and recognize the essential skills of a communicator.
1.1 Engage in patient-centred care that supports autonomy in decision-making and establishes trust while demonstrating empathy, respect and compassion.
1.2 Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication in all contexts of care.
1.3 Demonstrate effective communication to optimize care outcomes and minimize errors.
1.4 Effectively communicate respecting the diversity and background of patients, families, communities and colleagues.
1.5 Ensure an appropriate physical location for all discussions while understanding the context and supporting patient safety, comfort, dignity, privacy and diversity.
1.6 Deliver information to the patient and family in a humane manner that is clearly understood, encourages discussion and supports full participation in decision-making.
1.7 Demonstrate skills and methods in the disclosure of adverse outcomes in a timely and complete manner.
2. Develop a common understanding on issues, problems and plans with patients, families, colleagues and other professionals to develop a shared plan of care.
2.1 Develop rapport, trust and ethical relationships with patients, families, communities, colleagues and healthcare providers.
2.2 Enable patient-centered active communication in exploring patient symptoms and experience.
2.3 Understand the patient and family’s beliefs, values, gender, culture, knowledge, preferences and perspective on care.
2.4 Integrate social, economic, medical, family, life stage, demographic, work/school, and other relevant history factors in the clinical encounter.
2.5 Participate in shared decision-making through common ground for diverse patient and community values including, but not limited to gender, religion and cultural beliefs to address patient health goals.
2.6 Participate in obtaining informed patient consent.
2.7 Demonstrate an approach to managing physical, verbal and emotionally challenging scenarios.
3. Develop practices for documenting and sharing written and electronic information on the encounter to optimize clinical decision-making, patient safety, confidentiality and privacy.
3.1 Document clear, accurate and appropriate written and/or electronic records.
3.2 Effectively report clinical encounters and treatment plans to patients, families, and health professionals.
3.3 Demonstrate effective reporting of encounters and treatment during transitions of care.
3.4 Demonstrate professionalism in all communication.
3.5 Demonstrate privacy, data security and confidentiality in written, verbal, social media and electronic communication.