ABSTRACT
Is it diffi cult to learn the CARE Approach? Developing skilful communication habits takes practice. Often we have developed a way of interacting with patients on ‘automatic pilot’ without questioning whether that is the best way. The CARE Approach book is a supportive tool to review and refl ect on the impact of your own communication skills. It is not about changing your personality, but about adapting your approach and responses in healthcare encounters to communicate in a person-centred manner. Therefore, as long as you are willing to be open to a way of approaching people that may or may not be familiar to you and to (gradually) become aware of how you can put the approach into practice, you will be on the right track. Sometimes the CARE Approach may seem too diffi cult (or even far-fetched) to put into practice, and in these cases we tend to go back to the ways we are used to in dealing with patients. This is a natural process. Learning to deal with patients in a person-centred way needs commitment and can be a continuous process.
