Nowadays, health promotion and disease management are imminently scientific and technological areas, in which evidence-based action has been calling for the optimization of technical interventions. Thus, learning the explanatory mechanisms of disease and guidelines for its intervention are of crucial importance, which justifies the high preponderance that these themes assume in teaching in the areas of health.

The relationship between the health professional and the patient he or she wishes to help has often taken a secondary role in the therapeutic approach. The observation of the patient beyond the symptoms, the explicit and implicit communication and the role of the caregiver towards the frail person are considered part of the Art of Medicine and, perhaps for this reason, interpreted as a "vocation" and not as a learning target.

Traditionally, the teaching of communication skills in medical curricula has been carried out informally without specifically focusing on communication skills per se. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in communication skills in the clinical relationship, highlighting the need to teach and measure these specific skills. Several current studies show that the relationship created between the health professional and the patient is reflected not only in the degree of patient satisfaction and trust, but also in medical indicators such as blood glucose and blood pressure and in increased therapeutic adherence. It is also found that the relationship built influences the economic costs in the health area, associating a good doctor-patient relationship with a decrease in the request for auxiliary tests and referral to other specialties.

The therapeutic relationship is built on a set of patient and professional characteristics and requires the use of various techniques, which can and should be learned. Given the current evidence, it is essential to know and master the use of these techniques to achieve the optimum point in patient care. Knowing how to observe, communicate, inform, identify feelings and act appropriately are basic skills that can be taught and learned. Tacit knowledge is, according to some authors, the core of professional competence. As opposed to explicit knowledge which is accessible and quantifiable and susceptible to the creation of guidelines, tacit knowledge is difficult to transmit, built by experience and observation.
Thus, this course aims to teach the skills and techniques necessary for building the therapeutic relationship, both in the context of ordinary consultation and in some specific situations that pose challenges to our ability to deal with our patients.


Regime of operation: Face-to-face


Language of instruction: Portuguese


Recipients:
Degree or Integrated Master's Degree, with a minimum classification of 14 points, in Medicine, Nursing, Clinical Psychology,
Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Nutrition or other clinical areas.


Tuition fee: 900¤

Information

Check here the school schedule

Contacts

Núcleo de Ensino Pós-Graduado
Educação Contínua - Cursos não conferentes de grau
Tel.: 220426975
e-mail: posgraduacao@med.up.pt

General information

Study Plan

Certificates

Predominant Scientific Areas