Talking With Patients About The Personal Impact Of Illness The Doctors Role

This book explores the psychosocial impact of serious illness--its effect on a person's identity and relationships-- and the doctor's role in counseling patients. Even the most seasoned physician often feels inadequate when it comes to discussing the personal impact of disability and serious illness with patients. It takes time, attention, and skill. Most physicians who are good at this learn what to say from observations of physicians they respect and the conversations they share with patients over many years of practice. Like everything else in medicine, there is a continuous learning curve. This book offers a beginning. It includes first-hand experiences and reflections on serious illness by physicians and patients, concrete advice on how to initiate discussions of difficult psychosocial issues, topics for organizing discussion, suggested readings, and guides for patient interviews.