ABSTRACT
Physicians' voices are vital to the practice of good medical care because they can be used to inspire hope and comfort in sick and desperately ill patients. Physician voices, when used appropriately, can inspire and lift the spirits of very sick patients, even when hope for their survival is extremely limited. Human communication is believed to be the physician's single most important skill for providing good and effective medical care to sick patients, because of the ability of good physician communication skills to lessen fear and to relieve anxiety in patients. Communication between and among humans is an interaction as well as a process based upon a background of human behavior and social science research, and is defined by a body of identifiable knowledge. The medical profession has a particularly persuasive claim to authority, which must be respected but not abused by its practitioners.
