Handbook of Communication in Anaesthesia and Critical Care : A Practical Guide to Exploring the Art

This book provides anesthetists, intensivists and other critical care staff with a comprehensive resource that offers ways of improving communication in everyday clinical practice, and provides practical communication tools that can be used in difficult or unfamiliar circumstances. It demonstrates how communication can be structured to improve patient care and safety with numerous practical examples and vignettes illustrating how the concepts discussed can be integrated into clinical practice, and presents ideas in a way that enhances clinical interactions with patients and colleagues and facilitate the teaching of trainees.

Edited by practicing anesthetists with particular expertise in teaching communication, and with contributions from expert clinicians based in North America, Europe and Australasia, this book will stimulate and complement the development of comprehensive resources for communication skills teaching in anesthesia and other related professional groups.

Dr Cyna is a Consultant Anaesthetist, Supervisor of Anaesthesia Research at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. He graduated from the University of Leicester Medical School and trained in Anaesthesia in the UK and Baltimore, USA. He worked as a consultant anaesthetist in Hartlepool, UK prior to emigrating to Australia 12 years ago. He has research and teaching interests in obstetrics and paediatric anaesthesia. He is a member of the Australian Society of Hypnosis and is actively involved in teaching anaesthetists, clinicians, nursing, midwifery and other clinical staff, including psychologists, communication and hypnosis techniques as an adjunct to their practice.

Dr Andrew is a Senior Consultant Anaesthetist, and a Supervisor of Training at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide. She completed her undergraduate medical training in Manchester, UK and her postgraduate anaesthesia training in Australia. Her main work interests include teaching and research. She is a member of the Australian Society of Hypnosis and is a certified trainer in the Process Communication Model.


Dr Tan is a Senior Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Management at the Nepean Hospital in Sydney, Australia. She has a subspecialty interest in acute and chronic pain management. She is a graduate of the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK and was a consultant anaesthetist at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary prior to emigrating to Australia in 1998. She has a longstanding interest in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in anaesthesia and communication.

Dr Smith is consultant anaesthetist and Director of the Patient Safety Research Unit, Royal Lancaster Infirmary. He has a longstanding interest in the quality and safety of anaesthetic care and anaesthesia education.