Communication and Counselling skills

This module focuses on communication and counselling skills relevant to palliative care in Africa.

This VUCCnet e-learning course focuses on the core principles and best practice for delivering effective palliative care in Africa. It has been developed in partnership with the African Palliative Care Association and Cardiff University. Experts in palliative care from across Africa and the UK have contributed to ensure this module is contextualised to the sub-Saharan cancer profile and resource setting.

Please click here for ecancer's special issue focusing on palliative care in Africa, featuring five original articles from on-the-ground experts, and an editorial by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Professor Anne Merriman.

Published November 2013.

Learning objectives

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

List 6 points to consider to help effective communication.

Describe to a new colleague the key elements to breaking bad news.

Describe to a new colleague why people may use ‘denial’ and ‘collusion’ as communication strategies and suggest ways to manage such a situation.

List some of the barriers in your area/locality to effective communication.

Discuss with your team effective ways of talking with children about grief and bereavement.

IT Requirements

This module requires the learner to have a good, stable internet connection and runs best on INTERNET EXPLORER 7 AND ABOVE, and MOZILLA FIREFOX on either Windows or MacOS. FLASH ADD ON is also required to run this module.

If you are viewing this module on an iPad (through a browser), please download the free Articulate Mobile Player beforehand. Other tablet devices may not be compatible - please check for Flash compatibility.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact education@ecancer.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Disclosure policy

ecancer and everyone involved in the making of this resource have no actual or potential conflict of interest whatsoever which impinges on the making, peer reviewing and dissemination of this e-learning module which was made possible by an unrestricted grant from the International Atomic Energy Agency - Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy.

For more information please contact education@ecancer.org.