PHAS 5325 Patient Communication

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of health communication. Health communication is an area of study designed to impact the behavior, attitudes, and actions of individuals in a health setting ? patients, providers and support staff ? and to improve the health interaction as a result. Health communication is also an effective framework for molding educated patients with a vested interest in their own care. This course will give students an understanding of the tools used to improve communication in a healthcare setting and strategies for implementing these tools, which cover the role of the educated patient in today?s information-saturated world, the balance of power in the patient-provider relationship, the role of nonverbal communication, the provider-provider relationship, and the breaking of bad news. The course also will provide students with an overview of the areas in which health communication can be utilized, including academia, hospitals, physician offices, and in playing an active role in one?s own care. Role play and simulated patients will be used to practice communication skills in a laboratory setting.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.

Schedule Type

Lab/Lecture

Grading Basis

Standard Letter (A-F)

Administrative Unit

Dept of Physician Assistant

Offered

Fall