Table Of ContentRole Play and Clinical Communication
Role Play and Clinical
Communication
LEARNING THE GAME
JOHN SKELTON
Director, Interactive Studies Unit
Department of Primary Care and General Practice
University of Birmingham
Boca Raton London New York
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First published 2008 by Radcliffe Publishing
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© 2008 John Skelton
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Contents
Preface vii
About the authors viii
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 A refl ection on Socrates 17
Chapter 3 The language of the classroom 31
Chapter 4 Rich contexts 45
Chapter 5 The rules of the game 59
Chapter 6 Ask, don’t tell 75
Chapter 7 The basic scenario 85
John Skelton and Connie Wiskin
Chapter 8 Strange shadows 95
John Skelton and Connie Wiskin
Chapter 9 Notes on the game of writing scientifi c text 107
Chapter 10 The good doctor 123
Appendix 137
Index 139
Preface
This, the second of two books which look at aspects of the teaching of comm uni-
cation in a clinical setting, builds in particular on the work of the Interactive
Studies Unit (ISU), based at the University of Birmingham Medical School,
since the inception of the Unit in the early 1990s. The ISU has been involved
in the teaching of many thousands of health professionals and students of the
health professions, and certainly for me personally it has been a rewarding
experience. Well, actually, no – that’s not the point. The best of the students
we’ve encountered over the years have frankly had the capacity to reaffi rm our
faith in human nature.
I owe debts to too many colleagues to name – the present core team within
the Unit, the support of Departmental colleagues over the years, and that of col-
leagues within the West Midlands Postgraduate Workforce Deanery. However,
I must single out Dr Kate Thomas, and the other founder members of the ISU,
namely Professor Dave Fitzmaurice, Dr Phil Hammond and Dr Connie Wiskin,
who has kindly agreed to co-author two chapters of this book, and whose
energies, quick practical intelligence and huge enthusiasm are a marvel. Phil
Hammond has moved on, but versions of many of the scenarios discussed here
were created by him, and we all owe a considerable debt to his excellent eye for
what would have clinical and educational value.
John Skelton
January 2008
vii
About the authors
John Skelton is Director of the Interactive Studies Unit (ISU) at the University of
Birmingham Medical School, where he is Professor of Clinical Communication.
He is also Associate Dean for Educational Quality, and Director of the Medical
School Education Unit. John is a literature graduate who, before getting involved
in medical education, worked as a language teacher, teacher educator and
applied linguist in Spain, Oman, Singapore and the UK. He still maintains his
interest in education overseas, and has undertaken short consultancies in two
dozen countries.
Connie Wiskin is Deputy Director of the Interactive Studies Unit (ISU) and Senior
Lecturer in Clinical Communication. Connie set up the role play team at the
University of Birmingham Medical School in 1991, and has remained committed
to medical education since then. She has a background in humanities, and her
research fi eld is interactive summative assessment. Connie has presented her
work on teaching and assessment methodologies internationally, and has
produced a number of nationally available video/DVD training packages.
viii
I mentioned my debt to my family in the Preface to the fi rst of this
two-book series, and it remains constant. JS
With thanks to my dad, Danny Wiskin, for getting me started. CW
