Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for Futurity, Sharon Licqurish and Jon Emery share their research into how better communication between physicians and their patients helps improve care for those living with cancer. 

· How does better communication improve care quality? Why is this research important for the healthcare industry? 

· Here's how communication between doctors and patients can help improve the healthcare system.

James Bonnamy was 31 years old when he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had a lot of questions about his diagnosis and treatment, but in the beginning, the whole process was overwhelming.

“One of the hardest things throughout my cancer journey was having to constantly make decisions when I felt I didn’t have enough information, have any real options, or was ready,” he says.

And this comes back to the way physicians talk to their patients about cancer.

Effective and open communication is linked with stress reduction, improved pain control, greater understanding of and adherence to treatment, speedier recovery, and better quality of life.

But, the nature of physician-patient relationships means that they are often tied together by difficult news, especially for people living with cancer.

For both the physician and the patient, their interactions regularly involve making complex decisions while dealing with the distress caused by cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Read the full article about communication between physicians and their patients by Sharon Licqurish and Jon Emery at Futurity.