Competence: Interpersonal And Communication Skills By Dr. Bradley J. Benson

Summary
In this article, Domain of Competence: Interpersonal and Communication Skills, written by Dr. Bradley J. Benson, specific elements of interpersonal communication, as well as the effect it has on medical personnel, patient and physician encounters in the hospital or medical setting, is explored. In an interesting approach, Dr. Benson briefly discusses these terms independently, and determines that, a person’s skill level in communication is revealed in the way they relay information or news and the effects of that transmission on the receiver (Benson 2014).
Dr. Benson explains that “the ability to communicate with patients, families, and the public, is a critical skill for the medical professional and has been directly related to the
Communication skills are defined by the performance of specific tasks, which can be directly observed and assessed, such as obtaining and presenting a patient's history or documenting an encounter in the medical record and Interpersonal skills, however, are inherently relationship based and process oriented; they are defined by the effect the communication has on another person. Together, interpersonal and communication skills are foundational for successful physician practice in the 21st century. Ample evidence links best practices in physician patient communication with a lower risk of litigation, but the more important truth is that better communication leads to better health outcomes for patients.
To possess effective interpersonal communication skills and for interpersonal communication to exist, one must learn how to send messages that express their thoughts, adjust their communication to better fit the context, audience, and situation and can present without templates or prompts, and still err on the side of inclusion of excess detail (Benson 2014). One must also tailor their communication strategy and message to the intended audience and must demonstrate awareness of the purpose of the