Improving OT Practice Through Clinical Communication Skills Development

An occupational therapist working in an NHS Trust recently attended our Advanced Communication Skills Training (ACST) course. He wanted to improve his clinical communication skills. He shared that he had struggled to pick up on patients’ non-verbal cues and often worried about missing vital information. His goal was to become more aware of others’ non-verbal communication and respond more effectively.

During the course, he practised a scenario involving a conversation with an angry relative. It became clear that his usual use of minimal prompts, intended to encourage someone to continue or demonstrate listening was inadvertently escalating the relative’s emotions. He learned how to:

• Minimise these prompts when necessary
• Use silence strategically to diffuse tense situations
• Avoid sharing information before the other person was ready to receive it

When we met a few weeks later for follow-up, he shared how applying these skills had made a significant difference. For example:

• In a conversation about a patient’s occupational therapy needs, he used summaries and reflective listening to fully understand the patient’s situation and act upon it.  This task was completed in 38 minutes; a task that might normally take him one or two days.
• His colleagues noticed and appreciated how his enhanced summaries improved their understanding and awareness of the patient’s needs.

This story demonstrates the practical power of reflection, summarising, and silence in improving both patient care and professional collaboration. By adjusting small elements of communication, healthcare professionals can gain critical information faster, support colleagues more effectively, and reduce miscommunication.

“Using summaries and reflection helped me get to the heart of a patient’s needs in just 38 minutes, and my colleagues noticed the difference in their own understanding too.”

Before the course:

• Struggled to pick up on patients’ non-verbal cues
• Worried about missing vital information
• Used minimal prompts that unintentionally escalated emotions
• Communication with patients and relatives could be slow and less effective

After the course:

• Confidently observes and responds to non-verbal cues
• Uses reflection and summaries to gather key information efficiently
• Minimises unhelpful prompts and uses silence strategically to diffuse tension
• Improves understanding for both patients and colleagues, enabling faster, more effective care

Ready to transform communication in your team?
Please contact me if you would like to discuss the training needs of your organisation and how we can help you.