I think there are some communication skills that are really fundamental, too, because often physicians are trying to please the patient, but they don't ask the question, “What are you most fearful of? What are you most worried about? What do you think this antibiotic will do for you?” “Well, if I get that, my kid won't cry tonight, and I will be able to get back to work tomorrow.”
If you understand and ask those questions, then you can reassure them and educate them, “I understand why you're worried, but if I were you, I wouldn't want the risk of my kid having an antibiotic reaction, because the earache is going to get better anyhow.”
Some of it is the knowledge, and some of it is how we work with patients to simply explain things.