Communication is a key aspect of healthcare that underpins diagnosis, treatment and management for patient care and is a fundamental area of healthcare quality and safety (Institute of Medicine, 2015).
Communicating effectively is an essential part of care and patient safety. Engaging patients and carers in diagnosis, shared decision making, and management of illnesses or conditions is a core component of patient safety.
These approaches have been advocated by healthcare organisations and patient advocacy groups globally (WHO, 2017) and within the UK.