Communication skills: verbal MCQs With Answer

Communication skills: verbal MCQs With Answer

Introduction: Effective verbal communication is a cornerstone of clinical pharmacy practice. For M.Pharm students, mastering techniques such as active listening, clear patient counselling, teach-back, and interprofessional handoffs improves medication adherence, patient safety, and therapeutic outcomes. This quiz set focuses on practical scenarios, evidence-based strategies, and common barriers encountered in patient and team interactions. Questions emphasize clarity, empathy, cultural competence, and structured communication tools (e.g., SBAR, SPIKES), preparing students to communicate confidently with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Use these MCQs to test knowledge, reflect on real-world practice, and reinforce skills essential for clinical pharmacists.

Q1. What best describes active listening in a pharmacist–patient interaction?

• Paraphrasing and reflecting patient statements to confirm understanding
• Interrupting to correct patient inaccuracies immediately
• Focusing only on the medical facts and ignoring emotions
• Asking rapid-fire close-ended questions to save time

Correct Answer: Paraphrasing and reflecting patient statements to confirm understanding

Q2. What is the primary purpose of the teach-back method during medication counselling?

• To assess patient understanding by asking them to explain instructions in their own words
• To test patient memory with a written exam
• To demonstrate the pharmacist’s knowledge through repetition
• To shorten the counselling session by giving fewer details

Correct Answer: To assess patient understanding by asking them to explain instructions in their own words

Q3. How do open-ended questions most effectively contribute to patient-centred interviews?

• They encourage patients to elaborate on concerns, feelings, and barriers
• They provide a yes/no answer for quick documentation
• They limit patient responses to a single fact
• They help the pharmacist avoid follow-up questions

Correct Answer: They encourage patients to elaborate on concerns, feelings, and barriers

Q4. Which strategy is most appropriate when communicating with a patient who has limited health literacy?

• Use simple, plain language and short sentences with visual aids
• Provide lengthy printed leaflets filled with medical terminology
• Assume comprehension and proceed without confirmation
• Use technical terms to educate the patient on medical language

Correct Answer: Use simple, plain language and short sentences with visual aids

Q5. Which statement best describes the role of nonverbal cues during verbal counselling?

• Facial expressions, tone of voice, and body posture that reinforce or contradict spoken words
• Only the words matter; body language is irrelevant in clinical settings
• Nonverbal cues should be minimized to avoid distraction
• They are useful only in group counselling, not one-on-one consultations

Correct Answer: Facial expressions, tone of voice, and body posture that reinforce or contradict spoken words

Q6. In clinical handover, SBAR is a widely used communication tool. What does the ‘A’ represent?

• Assessment
• Action
• Agreement
• Attitude

Correct Answer: Assessment

Q7. When initiating a conversation about sensitive or potentially embarrassing medication issues, the best approach is to:

• Ask permission to discuss the topic, use neutral language, and express empathy
• Bring it up bluntly to be efficient
• Avoid the topic unless the patient raises it first
• Refer immediately to a specialist without discussing details

Correct Answer: Ask permission to discuss the topic, use neutral language, and express empathy

Q8. Which of the following is a common barrier to effective verbal communication in a pharmacy setting?

• Use of unexplained medical jargon
• Providing patient-centred explanations in plain language
• Active patient participation during counselling
• Using teach-back to confirm understanding

Correct Answer: Use of unexplained medical jargon

Q9. Which practice is NOT consistent with motivational interviewing principles when addressing non-adherence?

• Confronting the patient aggressively about their behaviour
• Rolling with resistance and exploring ambivalence
• Expressing empathy and supporting self-efficacy
• Asking permission before offering advice

Correct Answer: Confronting the patient aggressively about their behaviour

Q10. For a patient with hearing impairment, the pharmacist should:

• Face the patient, speak clearly, use visual aids and provide written instructions
• Shout loudly from across the counter to ensure hearing
• Rely solely on telephone counselling
• Avoid counselling and ask a family member to translate everything

Correct Answer: Face the patient, speak clearly, use visual aids and provide written instructions

Q11. Using a structured communication tool like SBAR during handover primarily helps to:

• Reduce communication errors and improve patient safety
• Increase documentation time without benefits
• Make handovers more informal and less accountable
• Prevent any need for clarification later

Correct Answer: Reduce communication errors and improve patient safety

Q12. Which statement most accurately captures the concept of empathy in clinical encounters?

• Acknowledging and reflecting the patient’s feelings to demonstrate understanding
• Feeling pity for the patient and offering sympathy only
• Maintaining strict professional distance with no emotional recognition
• Agreeing with all patient statements to avoid conflict

Correct Answer: Acknowledging and reflecting the patient’s feelings to demonstrate understanding

Q13. The main reason pharmacists should use plain language when counselling patients is to:

• Reduce misunderstanding and improve adherence
• Make the pharmacist’s communication sound informal
• Demonstrate advanced clinical knowledge
• Extend the duration of counselling sessions

Correct Answer: Reduce misunderstanding and improve adherence

Q14. Which technique is most effective to explore reasons for a patient’s non-adherence to therapy?

• Use open, nonjudgmental questions and reflective listening
• Scold the patient for poor behaviour to motivate change
• Presume reasons based on age or socioeconomic status
• Ignore the issue unless lab results worsen

Correct Answer: Use open, nonjudgmental questions and reflective listening

Q15. How can purposeful silence be used effectively during a patient consultation?

• Allow the patient time to reflect and encourage them to continue sharing
• Indicate disinterest and signal the pharmacist wants to end the session
• Isolate the patient and reduce trust
• Serve as a technique to speed up the consultation

Correct Answer: Allow the patient time to reflect and encourage them to continue sharing

Q16. If a patient uses a medication term incorrectly, the pharmacist should:

• Politely correct the term and clarify the meaning in simple language
• Ignore the mistake and proceed to the next topic
• Quiz the patient to prove their misunderstanding
• Repeat the technical definition without examples

Correct Answer: Politely correct the term and clarify the meaning in simple language

Q17. In the SPIKES protocol for delivering bad news, the initial ‘S’ refers to:

• Setting up the interview (privacy, involvement, and timing)
• Silence to let the patient react
• Summarize the clinical data quickly
• Supportive counselling only after disclosure

Correct Answer: Setting up the interview (privacy, involvement, and timing)

Q18. Cultural competence in verbal communication requires the pharmacist to:

• Respect cultural beliefs, ask about preferences, and adapt communication accordingly
• Assume all patients share the same beliefs to simplify counselling
• Insist on one correct cultural approach to treatment
• Avoid discussing cultural issues as they are irrelevant

Correct Answer: Respect cultural beliefs, ask about preferences, and adapt communication accordingly

Q19. The most appropriate immediate response to an angry patient demanding a refund for perceived medication harm is to:

• Stay calm, listen actively, acknowledge feelings, and set clear, respectful boundaries
• Match their tone to show you understand
• Dismiss the complaint unless fully proven
• Ignore them and call security immediately

Correct Answer: Stay calm, listen actively, acknowledge feelings, and set clear, respectful boundaries

Q20. Which is the best way to close a medication counselling session to ensure understanding and adherence?

• Summarize key points, confirm next steps, and invite questions using teach-back
• End abruptly after giving the prescription to save time
• Hand over a leaflet and assume comprehension
• Give a long list of side effects without prioritizing information

Correct Answer: Summarize key points, confirm next steps, and invite questions using teach-back

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