Practical Plans for Difficult Conversations in Medicine

Focusing on communication techniques for challenging situations, Dr. Buckman provides clinicians with strategies to effectively engage in difficult dialogues with patients. Building on his acclaimed work on breaking bad news, he introduces the six-point SPIKES protocol while also presenting five additional protocols: SPOKES, CONES, HARD, SAFER, and CONERS. These frameworks aim to enhance the clinician's ability to navigate various scenarios, including medical errors, ensuring sensitive and informed conversations with patients.