ABSTRACT
The Clinical Interview offers a new perspective on the patient encounter. Interpreting decades of evidence-based psychotherapy and neuroscience, it provides 60 succinct techniques to help clinicians develop rapport, solicit better histories, and plan treatment with even the most challenging patients.
This book describes brief skills and techniques for clinical providers to improve their patient interactions. Although evidence-based psychotherapies are typically designed for longer specialized treatments, elements of these psychotherapies can help clinicians obtain better patient histories, develop more effective treatment plans, and more capably handle anxiety-provoking interactions. Each chapter is brief and easily digestible, contains sample clinical dialogue, and provides references for further reading. These skills help clinicians practice more effectively, more efficiently, and with greater resilience. Whatever your clinical specialty or role, whether you are a trainee or an experienced clinician, The Clinical Interview offers practical wisdom and an entirely new way to think about the clinical encounter.
The Clinical Interview will be of great use to any student in a health-related field of study or a healthcare professional interested in refining their interviewing skills. It will help anyone from emergency medical technicians, nurses, and physician assistants, to nurse practitioners and physicians to build more meaningful patient relationships.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|52 pages
Building Rapport
chapter 2|3 pages
Validate Three Different Ways
chapter 3|3 pages
Mirror the Patient’s Language to Build Rapport
chapter 4|3 pages
Use the Power of “And”
chapter 5|3 pages
Redirect Demanding Patients
chapter 7|3 pages
Be Playful
chapter 8|3 pages
Handle the Hollering With a Calming Question
chapter 9|3 pages
Recognize Your Own Emotions
chapter 10|3 pages
Reflect the Patient’s Statements
chapter 11|3 pages
Introduce Progressive Muscle Relaxation
chapter 12|3 pages
Use Emotional Validation to Manage Negative Countertransference
chapter 13|3 pages
Consider Fear When the Patient Is Angry
chapter 14|3 pages
Validate the Patient’s Perspective of Where They Are Now and Where They Need to Go
chapter 15|3 pages
Share How You Feel
chapter 17|3 pages
Be Honest About Your Limitations
part II|40 pages
Taking a History
chapter 18|3 pages
Be Curious
chapter 19|3 pages
Prioritize Information You Need Right Now
chapter 20|3 pages
Use Open-Ended Questions for Sensitive Topics
chapter 24|2 pages
Ask “How Come?” Instead of “Why?”
chapter 25|3 pages
Observe Caregivers’ Nonverbal Cues
chapter 26|4 pages
Roll With Impaired Reality Testing
chapter 27|3 pages
Ask for Help Understanding
chapter 28|4 pages
Collect the Social History First
chapter 29|2 pages
Ask About Family History
chapter 30|3 pages
Wonder Aloud With the Patient
part III|45 pages
Making an Assessment
chapter 32|3 pages
Find the Key Worry
chapter 33|3 pages
Consider Past Healthcare Encounters
chapter 34|3 pages
Identify What Is Solvable
chapter 35|4 pages
Talk About Traits, Not Diagnosis
chapter 36|4 pages
Label the Patient’s Affect
chapter 37|3 pages
Talk About the Mind-Body Connection
chapter 38|3 pages
Emphasize Function Over Feeling in Chronic Illness
chapter 39|3 pages
Consider the Social History in Your Assessment
chapter 40|3 pages
Remind the Patient What Is Not Working
chapter 41|3 pages
Ask About Medication Side Effects
chapter 42|3 pages
Ask the “Why” About Online Information
chapter 43|3 pages
Recall the Patient’s Strengths
chapter 44|3 pages
Accept or Change
part IV|50 pages
Planning Treatment