Communication in Patient Care - The Hitherto Neglected Aspect of Medical Training

Medical profession is truly a rewarding endeavour. The most fundamental requirement of a good medical practice is clinical competence which depends on sufficient medical knowledge, effective communication skills, through physical examination and a problem solving ability. Patient doctor encounters even though very frequent are nevertheless complex human to human interactions. In this process the patients are generally at the receiving end as doctors are learned people and therefore primarily shoulder the responsibility for the outcome of these interactions. The article discusses different aspects of communication in patient care with special reference to its use in medical education.