Second Year Communications Lab

		Second Year Communications Lab: Patient Assessment and Communication Skills
Week 1 For week 1 Dr. Perri will talk about basic physical assessment of the patient. He will also review basic equipment used in physical assessment and discuss how important it is to be a good communicator as a part of this process..		In this lab we will apply communication skills learned in the first year to a new area of patient care: patient assessment. Patient assessment is a process through which the pharmacist will evaluate patient information that has been gathered from the patients medical records, talking with the patient, and by assessing physical symptoms. We will be learning how to assess physical patient characteristics and apply good communication skills to enhance this process. For this lab you will need: stethoscope lab coat appropriate clothing so that your partner can listen to your heart, lungs and take your blood pressure, for example short sleeve shirts. Also, try to avoid bulky sweaters. the lab materials Physical assessment check-off sheet Overview of physical assessment techniques Outline of Bates video's 1 through 4 Diabetic Foot Care Assessment Resources: Blood Pressure: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/7292/981 Lung Sounds http://www.wilkes.med.ucla.edu/lungintro.htm Dermatology http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010715/289.html http://medstat.med.utah.edu/kw/derm/index.htm
	Week 2 This week we will view selected video tapes from the Bates physical assessment series. We will also review basic communication skills that apply to the area of physical assessment. The video tapes present a detailed look at correct procedures in basic physical assessment. After viewing we will have time to practice basic physical assessment skills.
Week 3 This is where you get to show us what you have learned. Drawing on weeks one and two, we will examine students in groups of two to evaluate your competency in performing basic physical assessment of the patient. Remember, your communication with the patient will be part of this evaluation.