The Doctor's Communication Handbook

Of Previous Editions:

“... breaks new ground in its readability … It is concise, wise, and firmly pragmatic”.

British Medical Journal

“Since it was first published in 1994, Peter Tate’s The Doctor’s Communication Handbook has been essential reading to improve GP registrars’ communication skills”.

Practical Diabetes International

This essential text for doctors in both general practice and hospital medicine has established itself as the ultimate guide to patient communication, whatever their experience and wherever they practise. Highly respected and acclaimed for its light, conversational tone, this ninth edition, completely updated and expanded by the current authors, is revised for a broader audience to include any allied health professionals consulting with patients across the NHS and other healthcare systems.

Key Features:

• Unique and accessible approach to this vital and frequently poorly practised aspect of medicine.
• Covers all types of consultation, including telephone triage and both in-person and virtual consultation, with their associated risks and benefits.
• Explores the impact of AI, the internet, and social media on the consultation – and why doctors need not feel fazed by it.
• Addresses the change in practice where traditional doctor consultations are increasingly undertaken by other health professionals, including nurse practitioners and paramedics.
• Retains all the features praised in previous editions – brevity, readability, and humour – while being reorganised and updated by the new author team for a fresh and current approach.

The Doctor’s Communication Handbook continues to provide an invaluable “one stop shop” to help students, practising doctors, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners value and improve their skills in this critical area of practice.

Francesca Frame is a GP Partner in Cambridgeshire, UK.

Peter Tate is a retired General Practitioner, UK.

Phil Whitaker is a practising GP, writer and medical commentator in the UK.