How COVID-19 Is Testing and Evolving Our Communication Skills

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us, as health care professionals and members of the general public, to adapt. Simple things we take for granted have become more difficult. As pressures increased for health care professionals, conversations and decisions have become tougher. This brought the need to adapt working practices and find ways to continue providing compassionate patient-centred care remotely. In UK radiotherapy departments, radiation therapist (review radiographer)–led clinics moved to telephone-based clinics to reduce the time spent by patients in a hospital environment. This required setting up a “virtual” clinic room with patients by removing distractions and setting boundaries for the conversation. We have had to adapt our communication skills quickly as picking up on nonverbal cues is not possible through the phone. It can be challenging to understand feelings through the tone of a patient's voice and empathise accordingly. The pandemic has forced patients to slow down and really focus on themselves which has led to picking up physical and mental health changes earlier. This is one of the many positive outcomes that can be drawn from the pandemic. Although we have changed how we work, ultimately we are still here to help our patients.