Introduction to Clinical Skills A Patient-Centered Textbook

This practical text is an excellent introduction to the clinical skills all physicians, particularly those in primary care disciplines, need to treat their patients in a humane fashion and at a reasonable cost. The authors focus on patient-centered, or generalist, skills that will help the biomedically oriented physician become more comfortable in managing patient care situations. In addition, the chapters review the diagnostic, treatment, and technical skills that medical students encountered in their Introduction to Clinical Medicine or Physical Diagnosis courses. The book's clinical cases will stimulate class discussions and provide vignettes for skills practice.

The Systemic Patient-Centered Method.- Foundations of Clinical Expertise.- Interviewing as Clinical Conversation.- Physical Examination.- Appropriate Use of Laboratory Tests.- Making a Diagnosis.- Instituting Treatment.- Record Keeping and Presentation.- Improving Clinical Expertise.- The Difficult Clinical Conversation.- Clinical Decision-Making.- Patient Education.- Negotiation with Patients.- Managing Chronic Illness.- Counseling and Behavioral Change.- Functional Assessment.- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.- Critical Appraisal of the Medical Literature.- Reducing Malpractice Risk.- The Business of the Practice of Medicine.- Lifelong Medical Learning.- Advancing the Discipline of Medicine.- The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning.- Clinical Research.- Development of Clinical Guidelines.