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Importance of healthcare communication
Importance of healthcare communication
Importance of healthcare communication
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Each interview had its own take on the central topic of improved communication and patient satisfaction. Improved communication skills and techniques, identified as a fundamental driver in all participant interviews, are key to a more effective and collaborative health care system, from patient through physician and administrator. The ideal health care system seeks to involve all players acting in harmony for a healthier patient/customer and society. Consequently, if everyone is responsible for taking the time to communicate and inform the patients, no one is ultimately responsible. Little or nothing seems to get passed on to the patients and their families with everyone being responsible (doctors and nurses), and no one is left to be accountable
Patterson, Grenny, McMillian & Switzler (2005), gave a perfect example of a patient going in for a tonsillectomy. The patient woke with part of her foot missing, while none of her tonsils were removed. In this case, there were seven other people in the OR that day, each wondering why the surgeon was working on the foot, they said nothing. People were afraid to speak up, the crucial conversation didn’t have the chance to begin. As a nurse, it is part of our job to communicate with doctors and those above and around us. If nurses are able to communicate effectively, the flow and shared pool of knowledge can increase a group’s ability to make better decisions and utilize all resources
“Communication is the heart of nursing… your ability to use your growing knowledge and yourself as an instrument of care and caring and compassion” (Koerner, 2010, as cited in Balzer-Riley, 2012, p. 2). The knowledge base which Koerner is referring to includes important concepts such as communication, assertiveness, responsibility and caring (Balzer-Riley, 2012). Furthermore, communication is complex. It includes communication with patients, patient families, doctors, co-workers, nurse managers and many others. Due to those concepts and the variety of people involved, barriers and issues are present. Knowing how to communicate efficiently can be difficult.
The health care provider should ensure that they communicate effectively with the patient/client.
Communication is cited as a contributing factor in 70% of healthcare mistakes, leading to many initiatives across the healthcare settings to improve the way healthcare professionals communicate. (Kohn, 2000.)
Without communication, there is no discussion or exchange of idea. This community grows and members gain knowledge only by “active and engaging communication that results in action” (Yamin). Health professionals practice many forms of communication, but there are three important types that every member practices to keep this community functioning. One, they communicate between health facilities and share information. Second, they communicate within their own health facility to provide general care and treatment to the patients. Third, they communicate among one another to provide each individual patient with the care they need. “Communication between physicians, paramedics, and/or nurses must be clear, concise, and contain no ambiguity” (The Analysis of Medical Discourse Community). The patient’s history and care provided need to be accurately documented, either on paper or electronically. It is important that mistakes do not occur in the chain of communication between different medical professionals or it could lead to consequences. These different communication methods work together to make sure a patient receives proper treatment and care.
The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) identified communication difficulties as a key factor affecting patient outcomes. The manner in which nurses provide information is equally important as the information conveyed. The message the patient receives may not be perceived in the intended manner thus causing misunderstanding. I was not confident in communicating with my patient due to inadequate knowledge and I was afraid that I would not be able to provide an accurate and satisfactory answer. In my opinion, knowledge correlates highly with effective communication and help build a good nurse-patient rapport. Surveys by Casey & Wallis (2011) reported that the lack of communication is “palpably felt and can lead to patients feeling increased anxiety, vulnerability and powerlessness”. The common reasons for dissatisfaction with communication were due to poor explanation and incomplete response (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman 2011). It has also been proven that patients are more likely to accept health problems, understand their treatment options and adhere to follow up instructions when they understand information provided by the nurses (Patient-centeredcare.org, 2014). This further substantiates the point that knowledge is key for effective communication with
Patient satisfaction is a very important indicator that is used to measure the overall quality of healthcare. It generally affects the clinical outcomes, retention of patients and helps in handling any claims of malpractice in the health sector. This therefore makes patient satisfaction the best measure in terms if the effectiveness and efficiency in delivering quality healthcare. Apart from measuring the individual performance of individual practitioners, it also provides an in-depth evaluation of the overall performance of the medical centers. Further, the surveys on patient performance provide the best platform for engaging in measures and practices of improving service delivery. The result is happy and equally satisfied clients who immensely
Assessing patient satisfaction is challenging because it measures the quality of the service according to patient's evaluation, determines relationship between patient satisfaction and quality of care. That is why there are Measuring Patient Satisfaction such as:
The purpose of this paper is to broaden the reader’s perspective on effective communication, from a nurse’s point of view. The style of patient communication, interdisciplinary communication and patient safety is a complex infrastructure comprised of many disciplines to achieve higher levels of patient outcomes. I will define the seven principles of communication, and discuss how three of these principles are used in my interactions. Next, the three methods that improve interdisciplinary communication will be discussed, as well as which method is used within my healthcare setting. Moreover, I will define and describe three methods being used to improve interdisciplinary communication with an example of implementation
The intake interview assists in establishing and diagnosing any problems the client may have. The therapist may then explain to the client what to expect during the interview, including the time duration. A good assessment/ or intake will focus on the individual situation, strength and coping mechanism. The intake form is for the client, it gives the therapist more information and an idea of who you are. The intake process that is considered of a series of questions and consent form that the client has to sign and agree to. A professional relationship between a counselor and a client begins with an intake interview.
Improving patient satisfaction is an institutional priority that is directly affected by the quality of the care provided by the frontline staff. Active patient participation in hospital care is shown to result in better health outcomes and places the patient central to information related to care activities (Jeffs et al., 2013). Radtke (2013) reported that bedside report improves communication between nurses, patients, and their families and provides for “patient-focused care and the application of evidence-based care at the bedside” (p. 19). Bedside report serves other functions beyond effective communication. The nurse can better give the patient the opportunity to be involved in his or her care, perform quality and safety checks, check
I find it very interesting that the Center for Medicare Services (CMS) has begun to include the patients experience when determine what providers will receive in the form of reimbursement. CMS's addition has led hospitals to incorporate customer service initiatives whose goal is to improve the patient experience, with varying degrees of success (Mazurenko, Zemke, & Lefforge, 2016). The following were found to be important predictors of patient satisfaction: effective interdisciplinary relationships, adequate nurse staffing levels, high-quality and good-tasting food, minimal wait times, and hospital cleanliness. Most of the patient complain about these varies things throughout their stay at the hospital. CMS making hospital focus on
One of the most important aspects in the nursing profession is the need for good and effective communication. This is because good communication skills especially in the nurse-patient relationship have a significant impact on patient safety and recovery. Effective communication skills in the clinical setting are critical for the development of nurse-patient relationship and provision of health care information (Bruderle, 2003). Nurses usually exchange information with physicians, patients, colleagues and other people in the clinical setting. This communication is usually done through a variety of levels and ways, which determine whether it’s effective or not. Due to the importance of communication in the nursing profession and clinical setting, there is a range of different communication strategies including:
For organizations large and small, it takes work to construct a communication strategy (Burns, Bradley, & Weiner, 2012). I would add that work includes inclusive communication, facilitative approach, effective collaboration, and teamwork. The health care organizations have multiple audiences, where each has its own set of values, interests, and assumptions that require highly customized methods. The skills I developed from my coursework, including the internship practice, have given me valuable health analytical skills, especially creating a productive connection with my environment with a positive attitude. Professor Ron Wetter on “The US health Care System” class affirmed that many research evidence proved that in the health care medium, communication skill is a capacity to follow through with recommendations, self-manage, and adoption of strategies for success. (CSUEB, 2015). I have benefited from collaborating with the internal and external environment; today, I can see myself in the leadership position in the world of health care environment in 5
Research evidence shows strong positive relationship between a healthcare team member’s communication skills and patient’s ability to adhere to medical orders, self-manage a chronic medical condition, and adopt preventive health behaviours. Studies conducted within the past three decades indicate that with clinician’s ability to explain, listen, and empathize there is significant improvement in patients’ satisfaction, health status, greater biological and functional health outcomes as well as experience of care. Communication among healthcare team members also revealed profound impact on patient safety, quality of working relationships and job satisfaction.