Patient Communication Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real APC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Communication Skills flashcards as text
A pharmacist discovers a dispensing error after the patient has left. The BEST communication approach is to:
Answer: Contact the patient promptly, disclose the error honestly, and advise on next steps
Open, prompt disclosure of errors is an ethical and legal obligation; honesty maintains trust and supports patient safety.
When applying the Brief Counseling model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) in smoking cessation, which step involves identifying the patient's readiness to change?
Answer: Assess
The 'Assess' step determines the patient's readiness and motivation to quit, guiding the intensity and type of support offered.
A patient with type 2 diabetes reports they skip insulin doses when dining out because injecting in public feels embarrassing. Which response demonstrates the HIGHEST level of therapeutic communication?
Answer: Validate the feeling, explore barriers, and collaboratively problem-solve (e.g., pre-injection, pen devices)
Validating psychosocial barriers and co-creating practical solutions is the hallmark of patient-centered, therapeutic communication.
Which of the following BEST illustrates reflective listening during a patient counseling session?
Answer: 'I understand. So what you're saying is you feel dizzy every morning after taking the tablet—is that right?'
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing or mirroring the patient's statement to confirm understanding and show the patient they have been heard.
A pharmacist is advising a patient about correct use of a metered-dose inhaler (MDI). The patient states they 'just breathe it in fast.' This indicates the need for:
Answer: Re-education using demonstration and teach-back to correct the technique
Incorrect inhaler technique is a common cause of poor asthma control; re-education with demonstration and teach-back is the standard pharmacist intervention.
During a consultation, a patient expresses frustration with their condition. The pharmacist responds: 'That sounds really difficult.' This is an example of:
Answer: Empathic acknowledgment
Empathic acknowledgment recognizes and validates the patient's emotional experience, strengthening the therapeutic relationship.
A patient asks the pharmacist to keep their HIV medication confidential from the family member accompanying them. The pharmacist must:
Answer: Respect the patient's confidentiality and counsel the patient privately
Patient confidentiality is a fundamental ethical and legal obligation; the pharmacist must honor the patient's request and counsel them privately.