ABSTRACT
Teaching and learning communication skills require an ongoing spiral of practice, careful observation and analysis of the skills in question by self and others, detailed feedback, discussion of how to deepen skills or improve on what is not working, and opportunities to rehearse and try again. This chapter concentrates on two key components of the helical cycle: how to carry out analysis and feedback in communication skills teaching sessions; and how to phrase feedback effectively in communication skills teaching sessions. It explores how to phrase feedback by describing what is seen and heard without initial interpretation or evaluation. The chapter describes a method for structuring feedback that has been used extensively in communication skills teaching. It also describes works in both small group and one-to-one teaching at all levels of medical education, and when teaching 'in the moment' during bedside or clinic discussions.
