Includes bibliographical references and index.

Communication and its discontents -- From both sides now -- It takes two -- Now hear this -- With all good intentions -- What works -- Chief listening officer -- Listen to me -- Just the facts, ma'am -- Do no harm -- What lies beneath -- The language of medicine -- Rushing to judgment -- Can it be taught? -- A fragile truce shatters -- Can we talk?

"Patients, anxious to convey their symptoms, feel an urgency to "make their case" to their doctors. Doctors, under pressure to be efficient, multitask while patients speak and often miss the key elements. Add in stereotypes, unconscious bias, conflicting agendas, and fear of lawsuits and the risk of misdiagnosis and medical errors multiplies dangerously. ... Reporting on the latest research studies and interviewing scholars, doctors, and patients, Dr. Ofri reveals how better communication can lead to better health for all of us."-- From book jacket.