Background

International health policy advocates that care and service delivery must be patient centred, and that health professionals must listen and value patients' perspectives, and collaborate with them when planning care and treatments.1 Integral to the concept of patient-centred care are the interactions that occur between patients and health professionals. Operating within a model of patient-centred care requires health professionals to elicit patients' perspectives such as identifying their concerns, exploring the impact of illness symptoms on their lives and involving them in care decisions. A shift from a predominantly professional dominated approach to interacting with patients to a more patient-centred approach requires health professionals to consider how they communicate with patients. The quality of interactions between patients and health professionals can influence the effectiveness of information …