Innovative communication key for enhancing compliance in medicine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8127.2026.73.6Keywords:
family medicine, clinical communication, physical therapy, physical and rehabilitation medicine, compliance, empathy, trainingAbstract
Effective communication is a fundamental component of successful treatment and rehabilitation, as it fosters trust, motivation, and active patient participation in the therapeutic process. At the same time, clinical practice lacks simple, structured, and memorable communication tools adapted to the specifics of interaction with patients. Not only specialists in physical and rehabilitation medicine, but also general practitioners and physicians of related specialties must possess knowledge in this area. Therefore, the need for training in specialized communication skills in rehabilitation is becoming increasingly relevant.
Objective: To develop an innovative communication tool in the form of a mnemonic scheme that integrates the communication style of modern rehabilitation practice with core patient-centered communication components, aiming to improve patient compliance, understanding, and engagement in the rehabilitation process.
A structured bibliographic review of Ukrainian and international scientific literature on clinical communication was conducted. Based on the synthesized data, the innovative communication tool "(KPD)² + ENZiM" was developed, which combines instructional and emotionally empathic elements of patient interaction.
The developed model consists of six keys to effective communication:
“(KPD)²”: KK – Command, Comment; PP – Plain Phrases, Repeat; DD – Demonstrate, Touch; “ENZiM” empathic component – Empathy, Non-judgmental Attitude, Involvement, Mimicry. Together, these components provide clear, consistent, and embodied communication that can contribute to the psychological comfort of the patient, reduce anxiety, and improve compliance. The model aims to ensure structured, ethically sensitive, and flexible communication in rehabilitation settings, facilitating reduced patient anxiety and increased engagement in the recovery process.
The developed innovative communication key "(KPD)² + ENZiM" is a conceptually grounded and practically oriented communication tool that can be effectively integrated into the daily clinical practice of healthcare professionals to improve compliance with patients during rehabilitation.
References
Silverman J, Kurtz S, Draper J. Skills for communicating with patients. 3rd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2013.
Hojat M. Empathy in health professions education and patient care. New York: Springer; 2016.
Levinson W, Lesser CS, Epstein RM. Developing physician communication skills for patient-centered care. Health Aff (Millwood). 2010;29(7):1310–8.
Baile WF, Buckman R, Lenzi R, Glober G, Beale EA, Kudelka AP. SPIKES—A six-step protocol for delivering bad news: Application to the patient with cancer. Oncologist. 2000;5(4):302–11.
Kurtz S, Silverman J, Draper J. Teaching and learning communication skills in medicine. 2nd ed. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing; 2005.
Nestel D, Tierney T. Role-play for medical students learning about communication: Guidelines for maximising benefits. BMC Med Educ. 2007;7:3.
Stone J, Mazza D. Harnessing the potential of communication skills in physical therapy: A review. Phys Ther Rev. 2016;21(1):55–60.
Haidet P, Paterniti DA. “Building” a history rather than “taking” one: A perspective on information sharing during the medical interview. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(10):1134–40.
Prokopenko OM, Chaban TV. Communicative competence of a physician: modern challenges. Simeina medycyna. 2020;4(92):47–50.
Savchuk OL. Communication in rehabilitation medicine: an interdisciplinary approach. Reabilitatsiya ta fizyczna medycyna. 2023;1(2):24–28.
Beagan B, Fredericks E, Bryson M. Family physician perceptions of working with LGBTQ patients: physician training needs. Can Med Educ J. 2015;6(1):e14–22.
Murray A, Hall A, Williams GC, McDonough SM, Ntoumanis N, Taylor I, et al. Assessing physiotherapists’ communication skills for promoting patient autonomy for self-management: reliability and validity of the communication evaluation in rehabilitation tool. Disabil Rehabil. 2018;40(23):2785–94.
Murtagh GM. A critical look at ideas, concerns and expectations in clinical communication. 2023.
Kolesnyk PO, Kolesnyk AP, Kuodza JE, Mykyta IV, Yakym IU. Metodyka “Ryba OSCE”: Videoprezentatsiia lektsii dystantsiinoho kursu “Metodyka navchannia obiektyvizovanomu strukturovanomu klinichnomu obstezhenniu patsiientiv u praktytsi simeinoho likaria” [oral work with illustrations]. Certificate of authorship of Ukraine No. 101856. Uzhhorod: Department of Family Medicine and Outpatient Care, Uzhhorod National University.
Kumar S, Bhargava V. Pain assessment and SOCRATES: A handy mnemonic. Indian J Pain. 2019;33(1):60–1.
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Communication issues in physical medicine and rehabilitation. PM&R Knowledge NOW. 2025 Apr. Available from: https://now.aapmr.org/communication-issues-in-physical-medicine-and-rehabiltiation/
Weschules DJ, Bain KT, Reifsnyder J, McMath JA, Kupperman DE, Gallagher RM, et al. An internal audit into the adequacy of pain assessment in a hospice setting. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2015;5(2):210–5.
Back AL, Arnold RM. Dealing with anger in the clinical encounter. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(9):731–5.
Silverman J, Kurtz S, Draper J. The Calgary–Cambridge approach to communication skills teaching 1: Agenda-led, outcome-based analysis of the consultation. Educ Gen Pract. 1996;7(2):288–99.
