The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7188 p340-341
9 March 2002

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European Foundation for the Advancement of Healthcare Practitioners summary

Counselling skills for technicians: theory and practice

Representing the South East (South Coast) region, Sarah Goodson gave a presentation entitled "The Titanic of consultation — counselling skills for technicians, theory into practice".

She said that all technicians were good at the traditional approach of supplying compliance aids, charts and compliance aids. But there was a course now available that teaches technicians how to engage with a patient, how to develop teir communication skills, compliance theory, concordance, the importance of keeping good records and how to recognise when a patient needed to be referred to a health care professional. technicians undertaking the course are assessed formally and through a portfolio of practice activities.

The course was originally called "counselling skills" but the name was changed to "consultation". This was done to reflect the modern practice of a patient talking for 80 per cent of the time during a consultation and the technician using structured questioning for 20 per cent of it. "It is a natural extension of the accredited dispensing checking scheme and develops the technician's skills when giving out medicines," said Ms Goodson.

The scheme also supports ward technicians' activities, especially those with "free ranging" work outside the department and the hospital.

Nicola Beauclerk, a technician teacher-practitioner in the South East (South Coast) region, uses the skills and knowledge she learnt on the consultation skills course and described a consultation with a patient.

She emphasised the need to engage the patient, allowing sufficient time for the patient to take the lead in questioning. The ideal consultation will enable each patient to have their own needs met with no specific time set and by confirming their understanding through asking the patient to repeat some of the tips.