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Communication education skills for doctors: an update

British Medical Association
Board of medical education
November 2004

Foreword
The board of medical education has a long standing interest in communication skills. In January 2003 it released its publication Communication skills education for doctors: a discussion paper. On issuing the report, the board invited feedback in order to stimulate debate amongst the profession. It received responses from 22 external organisations and BMA committees.

In general, the responses received were positive and supported the paper’s key messages regarding the importance of communication skills. Many of the responses also offered suggestions for improving and expanding the report. Since 2003 significant progress has been made on the communication skills agenda for doctors and other healthcare professionals.

This update is built around the structure of the BMA’s original discussion paper. However, it also incorporates the feedback received from external organisations and BMA committees and includes reference to some of the more recent developments in this field.

This report is also available from:
BMA science and education department
British Medical Association
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9JP
email: info.science@bma.org.uk

Editorial board
A resource from the BMA science and education department and the board of medical education
Chairman, board of medical education - Dr Peter Dangerfield
Director of professional activities - Dr Vivienne Nathanson
Head of science and education - Dr Caroline Seddon
Editor - Elaine Martyn
Research and writing – update - Fleur Conn
Editorial secretariat - Emily Hoy

Board of medical education
This report update was prepared under the auspices of the board of medical education of the British Medical Association, whose membership for 2004/2005 was as follows:

Professor Sir Charles George - President, BMA
Dr Michael Wilks - Chairman, BMA representative body
Mr James Johnson - Chairman, BMA council
Dr David Pickersgill - Treasurer, BMA
Dr Peter Dangerfield - Chairman, board of medical education
Dr D Sinclair - Deputy chairman, board of medical education
Dr J S Bamrah
Dr S Calvert
Ms D Covey
Dr G Dilliway
Dr D Goodsman
Dr R Hooke
Miss L Kapila
Dr G Lewis
Dr S Lingam
Dr H McKeown
Dr J Oxley
Dr B Qureshi (Deputy)
Mr A H Siddiky
Professor T Weetman
Dr J Trowell (Deputy)

References
1 Publications by the Board of Medical Education: 'Communication skills and continuing professional development' (1998), 'Communication skills education for doctors: A discussion paper' (2003)