Barriers to communication
This occurs when someone only hears what confirms their existing beliefs.
What is selective perception?
This communication style repeats the speaker’s ideas using new words.
What is paraphrasing?
Empathy helps build this critical foundation between provider and patient.
What is trust?
Motivational interviewing is mainly used to encourage this.
What is behaviour change?
A patient is upset because their prescription is delayed. What’s an empathetic response?
What is “I understand why this delay would be frustrating”?
When a patient is extremely hungry or the room is too loud, this type of barrier is at play.
What are physical conditions?
This style involves repeating back the speaker's main points in a few sentences.
What is summarizing?
Empathy in healthcare improves patient adherence to this.
What are care plans?
This acronym summarizes the four core values of motivational interviewing.
What is PACE? (Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, Evocation)
Your teammate looks overwhelmed with workload. What should you do?
What is offer to help or ask how you can support them?
This barrier arises when a patient doesn’t understand certain slang or jargon.
What is semantic/language difference?
This is an educated guess about what someone is feeling or trying to say.
What is reflecting?
This kind of empathy involves actively listening, observing non-verbal cues, and validating experiences.
What is active empathy?
The OARS micro-skills include Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and...
What are Summaries?
You want to encourage a patient with high blood pressure to exercise. What technique can help?
What is motivational interviewing?
This can impact how much someone trusts the information being delivered.
What is credibility of the source?
This style builds connection by acknowledging and validating someone’s emotional state.
What is empathizing?
Empathetic communication often avoids saying “I’m sorry you feel that way” and instead uses statements like...
What is “I can see your frustration”?
This technique helps patients find their own reasons to make a health change.
What is evocation?
A patient says, “Nobody told me anything.” How could you respond using a summarizing statement?
What is “I hear that you're feeling left out of the loop, and that’s frustrating”?*
When someone says one thing but their body language says another, this inconsistency creates what kind of barrier?
What is inconsistency between verbal and non-verbal cues?
Avoiding this style is key—it involves diminishing someone’s feelings by "cheering them up" or glossing over their concerns.
What is placating?
Empathy enhances teamwork and supports this model of care.
What is patient-centered care?
Motivational interviewing avoids telling patients what to do and instead focuses on this type of support.
What is guiding patients toward self-chosen goals?
Your patient with diabetes is struggling with their diet. How would you use an open-ended question to explore their challenges?
What is “Can you tell me more about what makes managing your diet difficult?”