Clinical Skills

Aimed specifically at the Knowledge-Based Assessment, Revision Notes for Cardiology provides the first clear and accessible revision resource created specifically for this new and compulsory examination. Each chapter exactly maps the core cardiology training curriculum, giving measurable assurance that the information provided is what test-takers need to pass. Each chapter is written by a senior cardiology trainee in collaboration with a senior consultant who has expertise in that specific field, ensuring that the content is authoritative and draws on the latest guidelines and documents. Concise, bullet-points in the layout allow easy access to and digestion of the key points, and numerous tables, boxes and figures make this the ideal accompaniment to retaining the large and varied amount of information needed to pass the examination.Less

Investigation of patients with suspected disease has become highly complex, with an ever-expanding plethora of investigative techniques available to clinicians. This handbook details the techniques used in modern clinical medicine, across all the major specialties. Each chapter outlines the range of investigations available, along with preparation of the patient, complications, and interpretation of results. The handbook also includes a symptom-focused approach initially, which helps clinicians determine which system may be involved before, then reviews the specialty-specific sections of the book.Less

Physician Communication: Connecting with Patients, Peers, and the Public presents the current world of physician communications, from face-to-face and digital communications to public speaking and traditional media. The book explores methods and explains guidelines of exceptional physician communication. Physician–patient communication is, after all, human-to-human communication; establishing a bond and listening are just two of the essential elements in building trust and understanding—the foundations of communication. But today there is much we need to learn when it comes to facilitating the exchange of information, providing psychosocial support, ensuring shared decision-making, translating complex information, resolving controversies with sound science, and the myriad of goals we have as physician communicators with patients, peers, and the public. While most of our communication is with patients, we increasingly find ourselves communicating with family members, caregivers, students, residents, colleagues, patient advocates, researchers, insurance agencies, bosses, board members, the public, and even at times journalists. What we are communicating, where we are communicating, and with whom we are communicating are continually changing and expanding—and with ever more electronic technologies available to us, from electronic medical records and emails to online forums, video conferencing, and other high-tech systems. All of this makes how well we communicate as physicians even more important to our success in today’s healthcare environment.Less

Following recent high profile cases of surgical error in the UK and USA, patient safety has become a key issue in healthcare, now placed at heart of junior doctor's training. Errors made by doctors are very similar to those made in other high risk organisations, such as aviation, nuclear and petrochemical industries. Practical Patient Safety aims to demonstrate how core principles of safety from these industries can be applied in surgical and medical practice, in particular through training for health care professionals and healthcare managers.Less