Thank you for participating in the session today double a little thin on the ground Covid duties are having a toll on our attendance. Take all the safety precautions & Stay safe.

We discussed a communication scenario of discussing with parents of four-year-old who has been seen for being clumsy and clinical examination suggests he may have Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This scenario was fairly straightforward but it is important not to assume a diagnosis as the final when describing to parents on the first consultation unless specifically mentioned.

Learning points:

• Introduction and normal interactive behaviour with rapport.
• Do not give the ‘Diagnosis’ as a definitive – if you are only suspecting.
• Describe the signs parents can identify with and put in context with your thinking
• Child is ‘likely to have …XYZ’ because of these and we need to confirm by investigations.
• Keep quiet for 4-5 seconds for the information to sink in.
• Let Role player respond with their ’emotion’ question’ and then reply to their queries.
• Be ‘optimistic’ and not a Doom and Gloom doctor / colleague.
• Avoid being technical – said all the time but under stress we all ‘regress’.
• Keep it simple – basic grass root level information to start with.
• Contact Us

Add a comment or anything else I may have missed.
Anil Garg