Communication skills in oncologist’s work

Abstract

During the process of own professional activities any oncologist has to interact with a patient who experiences severe psycho-emotional stress, accompanied by painful sufferings. Successful communication between a doctor and a patient influences on patient’s attitude to treatment. An oncologist should be able to possess professional communication skills, which allow interacting more effectively with patients. Among communication skills the authors consider the following items: presence, empathy, sharing of feelings, active listening, marking the temporal and spatial boundaries.