Navigating Communication with Seriously Ill Patients: Balancing Honesty with Empathy and Hope

When clinicians communicate effectively, patients retain more information, have higher trust and a better quality of life. Such a patient-centred approach is the future of clinical care, and this book is an essential how-to guide on improving these skills. Grounded in innovative and evidence-based methodology, perfected through over twenty years of teaching in the VitalTalk training program, content includes foundational communication skills, how to help patients plan for the future, what to do when you are really stuck, and strategies to work through conflicts with colleagues. In this updated edition, emphasis is placed on the roles privilege, race, and power play in the medical encounter, and new tools are provided to help clinicians navigate this landscape with greater self-awareness and sensitivity. This practical guide is filled with skills and roadmaps, demonstrating how to be clearer when sharing information, more competent at understanding patient concerns, and more effective when making recommendations.

Robert M. Arnold, MD, FACP, FAAHPM is Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Center for Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Pittsburgh. He was the Past-President of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities as well as the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). He has mentored both investigators and educators and helped start VitalTalk, a non-profit organization whose aim is to ensure that every seriously ill patient has clinicians who can talk about what matters most.

Anthony L. Back, MD is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research into patient-oncologist communication led to the founding of VitalTalk. His awards include the American Cancer Society (ACS) Pathfinder in Palliative Care Award, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Walther Cancer Foundation Palliative and Supportive Care Award.

Elise C. Carey, MD, FACP, FAAHPM is Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and the Education & Faculty Development Chair for the Mayo Clinic Palliative Medicine Specialty Council. Dr. Carey currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and as a Strategic Partner and Distinguished Faculty with VitalTalk. She has been recognized nationally for her contributions to education and program development, including winning the Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Physician Award in 2014.

James A. Tulsky, MD, FACP, FAAHPM is the Poorvu Jaffe Chair of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Chief of the Division of Palliative Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a co-founder of VitalTalk. Dr Tulsky has received multiple awards for his work devoted to improving the experience for patients living with serious illness including the ACS Pathfinder in Palliative Care and the AAHPM Award for Research Excellence.

Gordon J. Wood, MD, MSCI, FAAHPM is Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Education in the Section of Palliative Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr Wood currently serves as the Associate Director of the Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) Program and as a Strategic Partner and Distinguished Faculty with VitalTalk. He has received multiple awards including being named an Inspiring Hospice and Palliative Medicine Leader Under forty by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2014.