Communicating effectively with patients remains a very difficult area for nurses, doctors, OTs - in fact all health care professionals. It is a skill which is now routinely taught in nursing and allied health courses, at student and practitioner levels, and has even entered the medical curriculum! Health employers now realise that if their employees cannot communicate effectively it is expensive in terms of non-compliance, mis-diagnosis, etc. Also, patients now expect options to be explained to them lucidly and clearly. This short and readable book is a practical guide to communication skills. It uses a case study approach to illustrate good communication. It does not provide a theoretical base, but the new second edition contains more further reading than the previous edition for the more academically minded reader.