The Consultation: An Approach to Learning and Teaching

"The consultation is the central act of medicine, and as such, it deserves to be understood." So begins chapter 1 of the excellent text,The Consultation: An Approach to Learning and Teaching. To the British, the word "consultation" refers to the medical interview, rather than to the solicited report of a medical subspecialist. This book is designed to improve medical interviewing skills for primary care personnel at all levels of training: undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. The text is well written, succinct, well organized, and comprehensive. Those looking for a simple "cookbook" approach to medical interviewing should not purchase this book, but those who are interested in developing their interviewing skills or the skills of the practitioners they teach would do well to read it. The first few chapters lay the theoretical groundwork for an understanding of the medical consultation. This includes a brief review of the general approaches