Communication is Care

I have always felt the difference between an average clinician and a great one is their ability to communicate. Having worked with patients and families in various rehab hospital environments, I've seen firsthand the powerful effect of compassionate, empathetic and empowering communication. It makes a tremendous difference in our healthcare system to have effective communicators with regards to patient outcomes and collaborative efficient teams. Jennifer has put together a handbook that would be beneficial for all clinicians and prospective clinicians to read and to guide their practice every day. I hope it inspires everyone to become better communicators and thus better clinicians to improve the quality of our healthcare system as a whole. --Vanessa Ong-Physiotherapist and Clinical Instructional Assistant at University of Toronto Communication is Care provides the unique perspective of someone who has experienced the healthcare system as the family member of a patient, but who also understands the challenges of healthcare providers. As a healthcare provider, it is enlightening to hear the challenges that a patient and his family underwent. Those challenging patients we may face as a healthcare provider is likely someone's husband, father, etc. That perspective is a beautiful reminder that empathy and clear communication can go a long way in fostering a successful patient-provider relationship. Communication is Care is a good tool to assist in self-reflection for healthcare professionals. The nine strategies essentially provide 9 areas in which healthcare professionals can reflect on and improve in their practice. --Jennifer Masse--Physiotherapist