Effective verbal and nonverbalcommunication skills are valuable in the workplace. Understanding the benefitsof effective communication helps companies place a focus on developing aworkforce that is able to communicate within the firm and with customers. Inthe field of healthcare, Strong and positive communication setting is one of themost important tools we have for providing great patient care and improvingpatient satisfaction. A positive and strong relationship between healthcaremembers and patients has a big impact for the perception of the patients duringmedications.
According to studies, clinician’s ability to explain,listen and empathize can have a profound effect on biological and functionalhealth outcomes as well as patient satisfaction and experience of care. Everypatient who comes to a hospital has a team of people involved in providing carethroughout their healing process: from doctors and nurses to housekeeping andculinary teams, and even their family and loved ones. With so many partiesinvolved, it’s understandable that missteps in communication could occur.
Healthcare systems should take communicationseriously and train their team members to break down these communicationbarriers to provide excellent patient care. According to a study, “Patientshave a higher expectation of the type of care they are going to receive whenthey are in the hospital, and not just from nurses and doctors but also fromsupport services such as housekeeping. They expect courtesy and communicationfrom all whom they interact with, including room technicians and other frontlineteam members. Thereis a wealth of research data that supports the benefits of effectivecommunication and health outcomes for patients and healthcare teams. Theconnection that a patient feels with his or her clinician can ultimatelyimprove their health mediated through participation in their care, adherence totreatment, and patient self-management.
Yet, it is estimated thatone-third of adults with chronic illnesses underused their prescriptionmedication due to cost concerns; yet they fail to communicate this informationto their physician. Another study found that less than half of hospitalizedpatients could identify their diagnoses or the names of their medication atdischarge, an indication of ineffective communication with their physicians,According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report on Health Professions andTraining. Healthcare members or workers should master and know the importanceof communication, how effective it is and what are the perfect materials ormethodologies in communicating in their workplace. Patientscan become nervous, confused, scared, sick, and angry when they enter theunfamiliar environment of a healthcare facility.
Becoming angry or frustratedwith an unsettled patient will only make the situation worse. Remain calm andspeak in a steady, confident voice .Communication skills are learnable,trainable, adaptable just like any other skill!.
Yes, it is not easy to changeyourself. But it wasn’t easy to be in your current academic achievement either.You can teach yourself these skills, learn them, adopt them, and make them partof the new you. I. What isoral communication?: Oral communication is the processof expressing information or ideas by word of mouth. There are different typesof oral communications, One-on-One Speaking, Small-Group or Team-Based OralWork, Formal and informal communication, Technology-Aided, Signs andSymbols Speeches and Presentations, and Oral Examinations.
Most of these typesof oral communication should be done in different fields of work includinghealthcare system. II. Oral communication for healthcare: Oral communication is usedin various care settings for example; doctors surgeries, hospitals, oldpeople’s homes and even in the patients home during call outs. Oralcommunication needs to be used to give important messages to patients ofcolleagues. Doctors need to tell patients about illnesses related to thepatient or advice and help about medications.
Some old people suffer badly fromlots of different illnesses so they will need extra care. o Verbalcommunication- Is the ability to explain and present yourideas in clear English to diverse audiences. This includes the ability totailor your delivery to a given audience, using appropriate styles andapproaches, and an understanding of the importance of non-verbal cues in oralcommunication. Oral communication requires the background skills of presenting,audience awareness, critical listening and body language. Beforea healthcare worker performs any medical procedure or care task with a patient,it’s important they use verbal communication to inform the patient. This allowsthe patient to know what to expect.
Verbal communication can also be used bythe patient to inform the health care worker how they are feeling, whatconcerns they have and any other questions the patient may have. It is alsoimportant that the nurse, doctor or other healthcare workers understands theneeds of their patients for them to know what assistance they need.o Formaland informal communication- Formal communication is oftenfound in hospital policies and documents. This type of communication can bevery serious, leaving little or no room for feedback or deviation. Health careworkers use formal communication when explaining hospital policies to patientsand their families. Especially, if there are serious issues or matter thatneeds a formal communication. Informal communicationis less structured, and often allows for more interaction and communicationbetween patients and caregivers.
Conversing with patients about theirinterests, families and daily activities generally occurs using informal communication.In this type of communication the workers become friendly to ask questions andentertain their patients. This is also the type of communication that iscommonly used because it is the easiest way to make communications between the patients,their families and healthcare workers. o Signsand Symbols- Many health care settings arefull of signs and symbols that communicate quickly what a patient or visitorneeds to know. Using this type of communication is beneficial in care settings,as it allows individuals who are unable to read or understand a specificlanguage to still know what is being communicated or discussed about . o Technology-Aided- Not all patients are able tocommunicate on their own with their caregivers. In these instances, many usetechnology-aided communication devices to hear or speak. For example, patientswho are unable to speak may type their thoughts into a computer that announcesthem out loud.
Thanks for the help of the new technologies today. It is noweasy for them to connect for just a click in their gadgets or computers. III. What is written communication? : Written communication helps in laying downapparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization. Speechcame before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech.
Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization incorrect order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition ofsentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But whilespeech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is notimmediate.
Writtencommunication is more precise and explicit. This communication develops and enhancesan organization’s image. It also provides ready records; references and legaldefenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records. IV.
Written communication for healthcare: Writtencommunication is used in various care settings for example; doctors surgeries,hospitals, old people’s homes and even in the patients home during call outs.There are different types of written communication that can be used in everyworkplace. Examples are emails, internet websites, contracts, proposals,letters, post cards etc. Most of these types of oral communication should bedone in different fields of work including healthcare system. Health services need to keep goodwritten records of the care given to patients/clients for three mainreasons: o Tomake sure the care and treatment can continue to be given safely no matterwhich staff are on duty, 24 hours a day, seven days a weeko Torecord the care that has been given to the patient/cliento Tomake sure there is an accurate record to be used as ‘evidence’ when there is acomplaint from a patient/client about the care they have received. Written communication helps a lotespecially on recording patient needs or their current status. It is also usedby doctors to give data or prescription to their patients. But, thereare principles of written communication that should be followed.
o Writeas near as possible to the time you’ve delivered the careo Writesimply and clearly that the patients or nurse can understand. It can also avoidmisunderstanding especially when giving prescription.o Writelegibly if hand-written and as error-free as possible if keyed into a computer.
o Insertdates and times as accurately as possible when specific events andcircumstances occurred. Dates and time is really important especially forrecords.o Avoidgiving personal opinionso Avoidwriting anything judgmental or which may seem personally abusive or insulting.
Report factually what you have observed.o Youcan add motivational quotes or messages, it will be a big help for the patients. Always be responsible in doingwritten communication, as part of the health care team, you have aresponsibility to make sure that anything you write about a patient/client orthat any other member of staff writes, for that matter remains confidential andcannot be accessed by any unauthorized person.
V. CommunicationChannels or materials for healthcare settings: In order for employers tomaximize their messaging strategy, they need to understand which communicationchannels are most effective at reaching their employees. No matter which channel an employer uses, it’simportant to put together a targeted strategy that includes multiple channels.
In hospitals and other healthcare settings, just as computer systems can run anumber of different software applications, we can think of a communicationsystem providing a number of different communication services. Thus voicecommunication is only one of the many services available across a telephoneline. Fax transmission of documents is an entirely different kind of servicethat uses the same underlying channel. For example, a mobile phone may providevoice-mail, text messaging. Communication services can run on differentcommunication devices. Examples of devices include the telephone, fax machine,and personal digital assistant (PDA). Different devices are suited to handledifferent situations and tasks.
Communication devices are a source ofcontinuing innovation, and will continue to evolve. In the healthcare system, materials that canuse as communication are telephones and mobile phones to be able to contactespecially when there is emergency. Fax machine, used to transmit documents andother important files. Televisions or computers used to present a proposal oras a visual presentation to explain more clearly some cases in the hospital. Communicating skills in ahealthcare settings helps:o Explainingdiagnosis, investigation and treatment in a good and proper way.
o Involvingthe patient in the decision-makingo Communicatingwith relativeso Dealingwith anxious patients or relativeso Givinginstructions on discharge.o Breakingbad newso Seekinginformed consent/clarification for an invasive procedure or obtaining consentfor a post-mortemo Givingadvice on lifestyle, health promotion or risk factors In realmedical practice, dealing with difficult patients is seen almost daily.Difficult patients are ordinary people who come to your health institute,whatever is that, because they have to, not because they want to.
Sometimes,they have even been brought in unwillingly by a family member or a friend. Theycome in with their vast range of different personalities, cultural background,and current emotional state. It is really important to learn how to communicateto them and explain the possible conclusions waiting. VI. Conclusions Communications gives a lot of help inevery workplace. It is really important to know what are the benefits andlearning we can get through communicating. Communication is a major componentof the process of health care.
Doctors are in a unique position of respect andpower. Hippocrates suggested that doctors may influence patients’ health.Effective doctor-patient communication can be a source of motivation, incentive,reassurance, and support.
A good doctor-patient relationship can increase jobsatisfaction and reinforce patients’ self-confidence, motivation, and positiveview of their health status, which may influence their health outcomes. Yetcommunication enhancements seem to be one of the cheapest and most costeffective interventions we have available to improve the quality and safety ofclinical services, and deserve much greater attention than they currentlyreceive.