Providing structure to the interview

Introduction In this chapter we explore the communication skills that doctors can employ to structure the interview to the benefi t of both doctor and patient. Providing structure is one of two tasks of the interview that we intentionally show in the Calgary-Cambridge Guides as continuous threads throughout the interview, rather than as part of a sequential pattern. Providing structure, like relationship building, is a task that occurs throughout the interview rather than sequentially. It is essential for the fi ve sequential tasks to be achieved effectively.