ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the communication issues related to outpatient visits. Since practical communication training is available in various formats such as written material, workshops, videos and online training, the chapter focuses on the fundamentals to deliver a broader perspective. A study that analysed surgeons' communication behaviours identified that failure to adequately explain the medical condition, failure to show interest in the patient, failure to ask whether they had any questions and failure to answer their questions were the main factors for patients not recommending the surgeon. Despite the importance of effective communication to surgeons, the vast majority of literature in the field of medical communication has focused on primary care interactions. A stereotypical image of a surgeon is someone who is not a very good communicator. For ENT surgeons there is a need to take a particular interest in communication for various reasons.
