Introduction

Communication is more than just a technique we use to gather and share information. Being a communicator is part of our professional scope of practice. It also defines who we are as rehabilitation professionals and how we are perceived by others. As communicators, we distribute information in oral, written and non-verbal forms during all stages of the therapeutic process. This programme outlines the key elements of professional communication and highlights the cornerstones of effective communication with different stakeholders.

Aims

This programme aims to train rehabilitation professionals in key principles of different forms of communication, so that they can acquire and widen their competencies in successful and effective communication with different stakeholders throughout the (therapeutic) process.

Outline

This programme will cover the following courses per topic:

Communication: Knowledge and Skills:

• Communication - The Most Potent Tool in the Box
• The Person Behind the Patient
• Culture and Communication
• Modes of Communication
• Using Empathy in Communication
• The Impact of Self-Reflection, Values and Implicit Bias on Patient Communication

Communication: Application to the Clinical Interview:

• Principles of Confidentiality and Informed Consent
• Initiating the Medical Interview
• Motivational Interviewing
• Gathering Information - The Psychosocial Assessment
• Gathering Information - Underpinning the Biomedical History
• Communication in the Physical Examination
• Explanation and Planning
• Closure of the Medical Interview

Communication: Application to Clinical Leadership

• Leadership-Effective Communication

Communication: Application to Vulnerable Populations

• Adapting Communication to Different Populations
• Working with Interpreters

Target audience

This course is aimed at rehabilitation professionals, students and assistants including but not limited to Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Rehabilitation Doctors, Rehabilitation Nurses, Prosthetists, Orthotists, Psychologists, Audiologists, Dietetics, Social Workers. Community Health Workers, Nurses or Medical Doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.