communication in healthcare essays

Communication in Health and Social Care Organizations Words: 2786
The Importance of Effective Healthcare Communication Words: 1144
Effective Communication and Quality in Healthcare Words: 1765
Patient Satisfaction in Health Care Words: 1124
Effects of Poor Communication in Healthcare Words: 1689
Patient Health Care Outcome Words: 558
Health Communication for Public Health Leaders Words: 711
An Effective Communication With Adult Patients Words: 501
Health Care Contracts and Their Types Words: 1186
Communication Modalities in Health Care Systems Words: 1142
Communicating in Health and Social Care Organisation Words: 3851
Health Care Quality: Health Information System Words: 2240

Effective Communication in Health Care

Introduction, effective communication in the healthcare procedure, patient engagement, annotated bibliography.

Effective communication between patients and care providers is a very important element of good medical practice. It does not only revolve around the patient and physician, but extends to other persons included in the health care system such patient families, consultants, referring physicians, the establishment providing the care, and so on. Effective communication in healthcare is critical for numerous medical processes such as correct diagnosis, correct care and treatment, legal and ethical issues, and in checking the medical progress of patients (Singh. et al , 2008, Priebe et al , 2007). Excellence in listening and talking between healthcare professionals, patients and other stakeholders should be one of the top priorities that should be achieved in the provision of good and effective care to patients.

The importance of communication in health care is often underestimated and as a result, the needs of the patients and other persons are not always met. This ultimately has an undesired impact on the reputation of the individual physician and the institution in general. When communication is ineffective in any health care setting, then there is bound to be poor medical care and medical mistakes. Studies over the recent years have identified ineffective communication as a serious cause for concern in the provision of health care (Schyve, 2007). With lives in the balance, effective communication is a very important component of good care provision.

Effective communication in healthcare is very important in diagnostic procedures since this procedure marks the beginning of the medical procedure in most patients. Any mistake occurring at this stage could have very significant effects on the outcome of the process. It is imperative that both the patient and healthcare provider are clear on all communication processes (Meyer et al., 2009). It the patient provides contradictory information regarding the symptoms and past experiences, the physician may make inaccurate diagnostic recommendations that can lead to mistreatment of the condition, creating new complications or worsening the patient’s condition (Singh. et al, 2008).

During the diagnostic procedure, physicians should allow the patient enough time to express themselves to improve the accuracy of this process. Studies show that clinicians only allow their patients 18 per cent to express themselves before interrupting. The same research found out that a mere 2 per cent of patients ever get the chance to express themselves in full (Schyve, 2007). By reducing the amount of information from the patient, the physician is frequently deprived of facts that are vital in making an accurate diagnosis. Various studies also suggest that communication between physician and patient is the most important indicator of patient observance of a treatment plan (Joan et al., 2009). If the physician possesses effective communication skills, the patient will become an active participant during diagnostic procedure, thus reducing the likelihood of making an inaccurate diagnosis.

During the diagnostic procedure, the patient must be clear in communicating his/her medical history to the physician. Conditions such as drug allergies, previous surgeries, and ailments are critical in choosing a treatment plan for the patient. Failure by patients to communicate their medical history effectively can place them at risk, for instance, failing to mention an allergy to penicillin may result into the patient having an anaphylactic shock.

Effectiveness in communication is also important in the treatment process. Physicians must know how to communicate medication instructions and home care to patients. Failure may result in overdose or general failure to adhere to the treatment option recommended by the physician, leading to a worsening of the patient’s condition or other serious complications and side effects (Haskard, 2009). Once a patient receives treatment, the physician has to make follow-ups to ascertain the medical progress. Effective information can assist the hospital to determine whether the patient is making progress, allergy to drugs, or side effects and decide whether to alter the treatment plan.

At any stage of the medical procedure, physicians must engage patients to improve the accuracy and efficacy of the process. Engagement can only be achieved if the physician possesses effective communication skills. Engagement is important as it creates a connection between the patient and physician and establishes a close partnership between the two parties (Epstein et al., 2008). Obstacles to engagement include physician failure to introduce oneself appropriately, cutting short the patient’s presentation, and using inquisition-type questions. Strategies for successful engagement comprise showing genuine interest in the patient, prioritizing the patient’s story, and discussing the program or topic for the next visit in advance and using language that is easily understood by patients (Pilnick, 2010). The results of a successful engagement include an improvement of qualitative and quantitative information available for diagnostic, treatment and follow up procedures that will significantly improve healthcare provision. Besides, the patient will have a feeling of partnership that may aid their adherence to the treatment regime (Haskard et al, 2009).

Effective communication is important in all aspects of healthcare provision for both the patient and healthcare provider. At the diagnosis stage, effective communication helps in obtaining quality information from the patient that helps coming up with an accurate treatment regimen. During the treatment process, communication helps in communicating medication instructions and determining the progress of the patients. At each stage of the treatment process, health care providers must employ engagement strategies to improve the accuracy and efficacy of the whole process.

Epstein, D. et al. (2008). Relationship, Communication, and Efficiency in the Medical Encounter: Creating a Clinical Model from a Literature Review. Arch Intern Med. 168(13):1387-1395 .

The main purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of how physicians can combine effective relationship development with the patient and effective communication skills with time management to provide the best care. Epstein et al (2008) investigate how the physician-patient relationship can be optimized to enhance efficiency in health care provision. The authors undertake a comparative literature review using articles obtained from PubMed, EMBASE, and PsychINFO databases, and from the study, propose a model for improving communications between patients and care providers. The paper is important to the topic under study as it shows the importance of quality and time management in ensuring effectiveness of patient-physician communication.

Joan, M. et al. (2009). Power of Communication in Health Care: Four Simple Ways to Adjust Your Mind-set and Avert Bad Outcomes. Joint Commission Perspectives on Patient Safety , 9(6), pp. 8-10.

This is a research paper that explores ineffective communication in healthcare delivery, identifying their causes, impacts, and prevention. Joan et al (2009) contend that poor communication can have serious effects in any health care setting. These include compromise of patient safety, staff protests, heavy lawsuits and permanent damage to the institution’s image. The authors present four simple steps that can be used to avert potential problems arising from miscommunication in any health care center. The paper is important in having an overview of communication processes in healthcare in aspects of healthcare delivery.

Meyer, E. C. et al. (2009). Difficult conversations: Improving communication skills and relational abilities in health care. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine , 10 (3): 352-359.

This research paper evaluates the effects of an interdisciplinary learning through experience paradigm aimed at improving communication and relational abilities of pediatric practitioners involved in critical care (Meyer et al, 2009). The authors assert that effective communication skills and relational abilities are very critical in improving health care delivery. However, related educational opportunities are gravely underrepresented and underrated. The authors employ a Prepost design using 160 clinicians in its evaluation procedure and reports that training has a great impact in improving communication skills of clinicians. The paper is critical to understanding the role of education processes imparting effective communication skills on staff.

Pilnick, A. (2010). Communication in Healthcare Settings: Policy, Participation and New Technologies . West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

Communication in Healthcare Settings presents a wider picture of healthcare communication by studying how issues pertaining to policy, procedure and technology impact daily practices in healthcare. Pilnick (2010) examines a wide range of communicative processes from a number of medical settings across Europe and the Americas. The author uses original research from previously under-studied environments such as occupations related to medicine, telephone-assisted negotiations and secondary care. The book is vital in understanding how matters concerning policy, procedure or technology can be used to improve communicative processes in a healthcare setting.

Schyve, P. M. (2007). Language Differences as a Barrier to Quality and Safety in Health Care: The Joint Commission Perspective . Journal of General Internal Medicine , Volume 22, Supplement 2: 360-361.

The paper discusses the importance of effective communication in improving the quality of care provided to patients. Schyve (2007) describes barriers to effective communication between patients and physicians. These barriers include differences in language, cultural differences, and low health literacy and their effect in the effectiveness of provision of healthcare. The author proposes that evidence-based model that reduces these barriers should be incorporated into the all healthcare procedures. The article is important to the research topic as it identifies possible barriers to effective communication in healthcare and how to reduce or eliminate them.

Singh, H. et al. (2008). Reducing Diagnostic Errors through Effective Communication: Harnessing the Power of Information Technology. Journal of General Internal Medicine , 23 (4): 489-494.

In this article, Singh et al (2008) expound on the effects of diagnostic errors to healthcare provision. They mention that although there have been significant efforts to reduce diagnostic errors, it will take many years to fully refine the system. The focus of the paper is on communication breakdown which the authors say is increasingly becoming a major cause of medical mishaps. Singh et al present a comprehensive structure that incorporates possible sources of communication breakdown during the diagnostic process and identifies areas that are highly exposed to communication errors. The paper presents. The paper is very significant to understanding the importance of effective communication in healthcare as it presents IT-based strategies that may be effective in curbing diagnostic errors.

Priebe, S et al. (2007). Structured patient–clinician communication and 1-year outcome in community mental healthcare. The British Journal of Psychiatry 191: 420-426.

This paper focuses on the central role that effective communication plays in mental healthcare. The authors contend that regular meetings between the physician and doctor play a primary role in community mental healthcare as the parties communicate regarding the patient’s condition. During such meetings, effective communication is very important. Priebe et al (2007) design a computer-mediated intervention structuring patient–clinician dialogue (DIALOG) that focuses on improving healthcare quality through effective communication. They conclude that a streamlined patient-physician dialogue enhances quality of care treatment satisfaction thereby resulting into improvement of life quality. The paper is important in comprehending how new technologies can be used to support patient–clinician communication to improve care delivery.

Haskard, K. B. et al. (2009). Physician Communication and Patient Adherence to Treatment: A Meta-analysis. Med. Care . 2009; 47(8): 826–834 .

The research paper undertakes a meta-analysis to investigate the link between patient-physician communication and adherence to treatment regimen. Haskard et al (2009) undertake a literature search of articles published between 1949 to August 2008 to come up with 106 correlational studies and 21 experimental interventions, which are then analyzed. The authors conclude that physician communication is critical to ensuring patient adherence to the treatment regimen. The paper offers a deeper understanding of the correlation between effective communication and patient adherence.

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The Importance of Effective Communication in Healthcare Practice

By haran ratna.

Ratna H. The importance of effective communication in healthcare practice. Harvard Public Health Review . 2019;23.

DOI:10.54111/0001/W4

Effective communication is of the utmost importance when delivering healthcare. Without it, the quality of healthcare would be impaired. Healthcare costs and negative patient outcomes would increase. There are multiple components to effective communication in a healthcare setting: healthcare literacy, cultural competency and language barriers. If any one of these components is compromised, effective communication does not occur. Effective communication is bidirectional between patients and healthcare systems. If either the patient or health care provider lacks clear understanding of the information conveyed, the delivery of care is compromised. The purpose of this review is to analyze the components of effective communication in a healthcare setting, cite current professional standards for each and propose solutions for improvement.

Effective Communication

Effective communication can be defined as verbal speech or other methods of relaying information in order to get a point across. 1 If either party does not understand the purpose of the information conveyed, communication cannot be effective. Effective communication within a healthcare setting is critically important. Workers of varying skillsets within a healthcare setting must communicate clearly with each other to best coordinate care delivery to patients. Some of these skillsets can be very different. For example, the role of a physician is very different from the role of an occupational therapist. However, both must communicate clearly with each other to ensure that appropriate care recommendations are met.

With regards to patient-system interactions, communication is bidirectional:

Patients need to be able to convey information about their health complaints to healthcare workers.
Healthcare workers must be able to adequately comprehend and interpret the information in order treat health complaints appropriately.
In order to decrease the risk of health complaints from recurring, healthcare workers must convey adequate information to patients to help them take preventative measures in order to maintain their health.

If any of the aforementioned steps of this process is compromised, healthcare delivery becomes ineffective. Ineffective healthcare delivery increases the likelihood of negative patient outcomes. It also increases patient utilization of inpatient and emergency care. Consequently, the burden of cost on healthcare systems increases.

For example, if the necessity for taking statin medication is not conveyed to the patient, he/she will not realize its importance and his/her high cholesterol will go unchecked. If the complications of statin medication are not conveyed to the patient, he/she might not realize that his/her muscle aches and darkened urine are a rare complication from taking the medication.

Healthcare workers may make mistakes due to lack of comprehension of the patient’s concerns. The most likely scenario where this would arise is when taking the history of present illness (HPI) from the patient. Misunderstanding the timeline of the HPI can lead to healthcare workers focusing too much on a particular differential diagnosis. Or they may even discount a potential differential diagnosis entirely. For example, did a patient syncopize before or after their fall? If they syncopized afterwards, you simply need to be focused on mechanical complications from the fall. However, if they syncopized before, then you need to expand the differential diagnosis to include potential neurological and cardiovascular causes.

The Joint Commission defines a three-pronged approach to addressing effective communication in a healthcare setting. 2 This approach requires that, healthcare systems incorporate methods to assess:

Patient health literacy;
Cultural understanding and;
Language barriers.

The above methods should be standardized throughout the system. If any of these components is compromised, effective communication does not occur. Methods for assessing these three components should be integrated into healthcare systems on an individual and system-wide level. 2 Merely performing assessments without integrating them into preexisting workflow processes leaves room for ineffective communication to take place in other areas of the organization. Assessments for diagnosing problems with components of effective communication should be standardized throughout all healthcare systems in order to ensure comprehensive and effective communication throughout.

The care coordination model employed by most healthcare systems is called the “Care Model.” After the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, this model was expanded to incorporate concepts from the Primary Care Medical Home. The current standard is presently called the “Expanded Care Model.” The core philosophies of the Expanded Care Model include: 1) patient self-management support, 2) healthcare delivery systems, 3) healthcare decision support and 4) clinical information delivery.

The design of all patient care services should be patient-centered, timely, efficient, evidence-based, safe, and coordinated. The Expanded Care Model delineates the above guidelines for healthcare teams to be prepared and take proactive steps in ensuring positive patient health outcomes. Consequently, patients would be informed about healthcare processes and empowered to become active participants in decisions regarding their health. 3

In its Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality describes the concept of “universal precautions.” 4 Universal precautions imply that health care systems should approach all patients with the assumption that they are at risk for not understanding their health conditions or how to deal with them. Healthcare systems should confirm the patient’s understanding through use of assessments and add to the patient’s understanding if necessary; 4 doing so will help organizations isolate and address sources of ineffective communication more readily.

Complex assessments may be time-intensive and impractical to implement within busy practice settings. Assessments employed should be simple to administer and evaluate, and data entry for the administered assessments should fit into preexisting workflows. A 2008 study using Pfizer’s health literacy tool, called the “Newest Vital Sign,” concluded that minimal time was needed to implement the screening. 5 The greatest proportion of time needed during day-to-day processes was related to scoring and data entry. Minimal time and cost were needed to program an additional field for score entry into their preexisting electronic medical record. The study found that the most time-intensive component was the re-education of providers on screening tool processes. Without re-training, providers had a tendency to revert to their original method of care delivery and health communication. 5 Staff buy-in is a considerable hurdle to cross, since staff quite often will be resistant to changing accustomed care delivery behaviors without proper incentive. For this reason, any new assessment implemented by healthcare systems should include the cost of added compensation for the staff. This incentive does not necessarily have to be financial in nature and should best suit the needs of the practice.

Patients at-risk for ineffective communication should be identified during the pre-visit chart review. Patients should be provided with patient information/assessments upon intake (preferably in dual visual and audio formats). While in the waiting room, patients will have the time to peruse patient information and complete assessments. Supplemental information typically acts as an impetus for patients to initiate dialogue with their healthcare provider. Before the end of the healthcare encounter, patient’s understanding should be gauged and any information discussed should be provided to the patient in a simplified format.

Health Literacy

Health literacy can be defined as the patient’s ability to obtain, comprehend, communicate and understand basic healthcare information and services. By possessing these abilities, individuals are better equipped to make appropriate healthcare decisions and thus, improve their health outcomes. Health literacy does not simply involve managing disease. Through incorporating the concept of population health, health literacy can be broadened to encompass any-and-all topics which can influence healthcare outcomes (for example, finances, public policy, housing, trauma prevention, social awareness, climate change etc.)

The knowledge to navigate all societal structures impacts health outcomes both directly and indirectly. If someone has a financial hardship, such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, it might cause them undue stress that may negatively affect their health. If someone is making minimum wage and has to choose between keeping food on the table or healthcare, they may forego regular health maintenance and thus allow chronic health conditions to go unchecked. If someone lacks adequate knowledge of driving safety and defensive driving, it increases the likelihood that they meet with a potentially fatal car accident. If someone cannot read, they might not be able to understand the instructions to their medication and unintentionally misuse them. These are only a few examples of how healthcare touches every aspect of our lives. Expanding the scope of preventative healthcare practice to incorporate population health concepts is crucial.

Poor health literacy causes patients to lack basic knowledge of disease processes, health self-management concepts and healthcare bureaucracy structure. For this reason, it is associated with higher rates of emergency and inpatient healthcare utilization with increased cause-specific morbidity and mortality rates. 6 Low health literacy also affects the quality of patient interaction with healthcare systems. Patients with low health literacy are more likely to be passive during healthcare encounters and less likely to engage in shared decision-making with their physicians due to the lack of comprehension. As a result, they are often less satisfied with their care. 7 Poor patient health literacy is a universal problem. It is most prominent among low-income, ethnic minorities and elderly populations.

Healthcare literacy is determined by the comprehending ability of the patient and the complexity of the healthcare system. 3 The health care system has grown increasingly more complex and possesses a high barrier-of-entry with regards to knowledge base. In a single encounter, the healthcare system demands that patients be aware of a myriad of complex topics (for example, health insurance reimbursement, evidence-based reasoning for diagnoses, acute medical interventions, lifestyle and medication self-management of chronic conditions etc.). The ability to comprehend these topics demands a high knowledge base that many patients simply do not have.

Improving health literacy within a clinical setting should take a multi-step approach: 1) Assessment of baseline patient literacy 2) Provision of multi-format patient education 3) Ensuring that all members of healthcare staff provide quality communication to the patient 4) Confirmation of patient understanding. Each of these steps should be accompanied by an action plan. 4, 8 ,11, 9 The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method is typically used in creating an action plan. The PDSA method is a cyclic process performed periodically for continuous process improvement. This method involves: 1) performing an assessment of baseline capabilities, 2) setting benchmark goals, 3) implementation of interventions, 4) re-assessment of outcome metrics periodically and 5) augmentation of approach if necessary.

All staff should receive periodic in-service education on their role within health literacy improvement processes.

Assessment of Baseline Patient Literacy

Assessment of baseline patient literacy is crucial since it creates an impetus for initiating dialogue between patients and healthcare providers that would not have existed otherwise. Low health literacy is not something that patients advertise. On the one hand, they may be unaware of the importance of certain healthcare matters. However, patients often feel stigmatized due to their low health literacy. For this reason, they may be less likely to disclose their lack of comprehension during healthcare encounters. In addition, studies have shown that healthcare providers tend to overestimate their ability to convey information to patients. 8 Healthcare providers typically use methods based on subjective assumptions to assess health literacy. However, formal assessments would allow them to determine the underlying cause of a patient’s low health literacy without the influence of personal bias.

Current assessment tools readily used to assess health literacy include the Wide Range Achievement Test, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine and the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. However, these assessments are very time-intensive and may be impractical to implement within a busy medical practice. Health literacy assessments should be easy to implement and fit seamlessly into preexisting workflows. Pfizer’s health literacy tool, the Newest Vital Sign, is simple to implement. However, it only focuses on nutritional matters and fails to comprehensively address all aspects of health literacy. In short, healthcare systems should implement health literacy assessments that best suit the needs of their practice and are proven to be effective. Any health literacy assessment a practice chooses to implement should be continuous and not simply be relegated to a single encounter.

Provide Multi-Format Patient Education

All patients possess different capacities for learning. For this reason, patient information should be provided in multiple formats. Preferably it should be provided in dual visual and audio formats. In addition, patient material should be able to accommodate for visual, hearing and cognitive impairment. Patient information materials are of the utmost importance during healthcare encounters since they routinely prompt patients to ask questions of their healthcare providers that they might not have otherwise.

There is no clear consensus with regards to the level of difficulty information patient populations are able to comprehend. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that patient information should be no higher than an eighth-grade level. However, the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that patient information should be no higher than a sixth-grade level. However, a 2007 study concluded that grade level attainment is a poor predictor of patient health literacy. The study purported that reading fluency is a stronger predictor for adequate health literacy since grade level attainment did not account for lifelong learning or age-related declines in comprehension. 10

In addition, patients are more likely to successfully interpret single-step directions over multi-step directions. In a study by Davis et al. (2006), patients had a higher likelihood of accurately interpreting single-step drug labels with low literacy scores than multi-step or higher literacy score labels. 11

Several standardized assessments for readability of patient materials currently exist. Examples of such tools include the Flesch Reading Ease score, the Flesch Kincaid Grade, the Gunning Fog index, SMOG Readability formula, the Fry Readability Graph, The New Dale-Chali readability formula, the Suitability Assessment of Materials and the Lexile Framework. These assessments measure categories such as content, literacy demand, graphics, layout, typography, cultural appropriateness, word frequency, syllable count and sentence length. 12 By giving the readability of patient information a numerical score, healthcare systems can better formulate appropriate material for their patient population.

The general rule-of-thumb to improve readability of patient materials includes: 1) focusing material on a single message, 2) using a plain language standard and avoiding medical jargon, 3) using a conversational style as if talking to someone verbally, 4) using analogies that are culturally appropriate to your target patient population, 5) limiting the amount of details included in the material to only essential information, 6) placing relevant images that are culturally appropriate next to the corresponding text and 7) placing appropriate captions that highlight areas of interest next to the corresponding pictures. 11

Patients with poor health literacy may not only have problems with reading. They also may have problems with conceptualizing risk factors. For this reason, representative individuals from the target patient population should be involved in the creation of patient materials as an additional quality assurance measure.

Improve Patient Communication with All Staff

All staff that comes into contact with patients has a role to play in the delivery of their healthcare. Poor communication with any member of the healthcare staff can disrupt a patient’s comprehension of healthcare matters. For this reason, it is important for all staff to buy into health literacy improvement processes. General strategies for clear communication include: 1) giving a warm greeting, 2) maintaining eye contact, 3) listening carefully, 4) being aware of the patient’s body language as well as their own, 5) speaking slowly and concretely in non-medical language, 6) using graphics and demonstrations when appropriate and 7) encouraging patient participation and questions. 4

When conveying information to patients, it is important to address: 1) what is wrong, 2) what the patient needs to do and why, 3) how they do it, 4) what to expect (both pros and cons) and 5) alternatives (including no treatment).

Confirm Patient Understanding

Finally, the patient’s understanding of healthcare matters should be confirmed. Without confirmation, there is no guarantee that patients will be able to perform the complicated demands that the healthcare system expects of them. The most widely accepted method to confirm patient understanding is called the “Teach-Back Method.” The Teach-Back Method requires that healthcare workers ask patients to repeat all information conveyed to them during the healthcare encounters. Any misunderstandings should then be pointed out and corrected. The Teach-Back Method should be used as many times as necessary until the patient has a full understanding of the concepts. 4 All staff within a healthcare practice should be using the Teach-Back Method. In addition, all information should be provided in a format that patients can take home. Self-maintenance and preventative tasks should be simplified and fit seamlessly within the patient’s lifestyle (for example, medication reconciliation, easy-to-interpret drug labels and pill-boxes for organization etc.). If possible, patients should be connected to resources within their communities to aid in self-maintenance and prevention.

Cultural and Language Competency

Cultural competency can be defined as a strategy to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. The Office of Minority Health includes the ability to meet patient’s linguistic needs in this concept. Cultural competency seeks to change the one-size-fits-all approach of the current medical practice and tailor healthcare delivery to the individual needs of a diverse patient population. Cultural competency does not pertain to the racial and ethnic disparities created by unequal access to healthcare services. A culturally competent healthcare system provides high quality care regardless of race, ethnicity, culture or language proficiency for patients who are already members of the patient population. Disparities in healthcare provision due to the lack of cultural competency are entirely created by the preconceived biases already present among healthcare workers. This inadvertently influences the way they deliver healthcare. Studies have shown that ethnic minorities are more likely to perceive that the healthcare staff had negatively judged them and treated them with disrespect due to their race, ethnicity or how well they spoke English. They are also more likely to be less satisfied with the care they receive and believe that they would have gotten better care if they belonged to a different race. 12 Ethnic minorities of low socioeconomic status and elderly demographics tend to have more passive interactions with physicians and are not given the opportunity for shared decision-making in their healthcare. Most healthcare practitioners are not racists. However, they tend to assume that the aforementioned groups are less health literate due to an inability to relate to them on a cultural basis. Studies have shown that race-and-socioeconomic-status-concordant physicians had more meaningful interactions with their patients than those from different groups. Patients with race-concordant relationships with their healthcare provider tended to report greater satisfaction with the care than those who did not. 12 Poorer health outcomes occur when socio-cultural differences between patients and staff are not reconciled during the healthcare encounter. Current standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services are set by the Office of Minority Health. These standards are divided into the following categories: 1) governance, leadership and workforce, 2) communication and language assistance and 3) engagement, continuous improvement and accountability. 13

Cultural and linguistic competency is necessary throughout every level of a healthcare organization. The first step in achieving cultural and linguistic competency is to perform a baseline community needs assessment of the organization’s patient service area to determine typical patient demographics. One way to increase cultural and linguistic competency is to hire staff that are representative of target demographics for the organization. However, this strategy is not always feasible. Therefore, in-service cultural competency training should be mandated for all staff. Ideally, a representative member of the target population should be involved in the creation of the training curricula. Language services should be incorporated into the organizational structure and the staff should be trained to utilize the system. Language barriers are not always immediately evident. Patients can identify themselves as being fluent in English but only have an incomplete understanding of the language. The staff may believe themselves to be competent in conversing in another language when they actually are not. For these reasons, the staff should be trained to utilize language services each time any language discrepancy occurs. All cultural and linguistic concerns should be addressed in an action plan that determines baseline capabilities and tracks improvement.

Currently, formal screening to assess barriers to cultural and language understanding do not exist. Any assessment organizations wish to implement should meet the needs of the patient population and be proven to be effective.

Ineffective communication nullifies any attempt at care provision. The quality of care health workers provide does not matter if patients do not understand what they are being told. This leads to negative patient outcomes, increased utilization of emergency and inpatient services and a greater cost burden on healthcare systems. Effective communication includes health literacy, cultural competency and language barriers. Interventions to address each component should be incorporated into every level of healthcare organizations and fit seamlessly into preexisting workflows. Corresponding action plans should be created for each component in order to determine baseline capabilities and track improvements. Optimizing all components of effective communication will improve patient outcomes and lead to greater monetary savings which can then be reinvested in the organization.

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Nursing — Nursing and Effective Communication

Nursing and Effective Communication

Categories: Effective Communication Nursing

About this sample

Words: 514 |

Published: Jan 25, 2024

Words: 514 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Benefits of Effective Communication in Nursing

Works cited.

Barton, G., Bruce, A., & Schreiber, R. (2018). Teaching nurses teamwork: Integrative review of competency-based team training in nursing education. Nurse education in practice, 32, 129-137.
Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. V. (2014). Communication in nursing practice. Material socio-medica, 26(1), 65.
The Importance of Effective Communication in Nursing (2022). The University Of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved from, www.usa.edu/blog/communication-in-nursing/

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Effective Communication: Healthcare Essay (Critical Writing)

Effective communication occupies a special place in healthcare, especially in pediatrics, by helping clinical providers convey critical ideas at an understandable level and encourage patients in decision-making and personal care. In this regard, the first post aims at discussing the behavioral issues related to children and the use of communication strategies to promote problem resolution. First, the student provides the relevant statistics concerning the prevalence of children’s developmental disability and describes the practical tools in assessing the developmental dysfunction, that is, the Bayley’s Scales and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3.

Besides, according to the post, the direct interaction between primary caregiver and child plays an essential role in identifying particular developmental abnormalities and their symptoms. In particular, these signs include expressive or receptive language delay, slow response to questions or appeals, gross or fine motor delay, or setback in social or emotional tasks. Finally, the student regards a specific problem that can hinder productive communication, namely, the child’s reluctance to cooperate, and gives further recommendations concerning the child’s examination.

However, the post lacks therapeutic communication techniques that provide client support and the necessary considerations when communicating with a child. Burke (2020) specifies that active listening, focusing, silence, clarification, exploring, using open-ended questions, reflecting, summarizing, and offering assistance form the basis for significant relationships between pediatricians and children. Moreover, Bell and Condren (2016) indicate the critical importance of high caregiver literacy which is the main contributor to the healthy development of a child with mental disabilities. They also examine some considerations for establishing sustained rapport, including using a normal tone of voice and vocabulary adjusted to a child’s level, eye contact, and joint book reading or toy playing. To facilitate the cooperation process, the healthcare providers should also apply digital technologies such as PowerPoint presentations and communication through email.

Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage of an individual, which is primarily characterized by broadening social interaction and acquiring new notions about the self and surrounding environment. In this context, the second post first indicates the significance of distinguishing this period from others while conducting the assessment and treatment of particular behavioral issues. For example, the student states that when evaluating the mental state of an adolescent, healthcare providers should perform screening to determine the availability of intimate partner violence. Indeed, adolescents’ intimate relationships can substantially affect their mental health and define their behavior in society, especially in a family, according to Miller and McCaw (2019). The adverse experiences can result in an increased level of anxiety, lower self-esteem, and severe psychological trauma.

The post also describes some physical and psychological factors that contribute to impulsive and sensation-seeking behaviors, indicating that the absence of controlling such behavior impacts a person’s quality of life adversely. In addition, the student appropriately notes that healthcare providers should primarily focus on minimizing the effect of maladaptive behavior and developing trust and a sense of independence in managing personal health. Concerning intimate relationships, the strategies should mainly be based on delivering high-quality sexual education, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and practical assistance in addressing particular intimate concerns. Nevertheless, the post should also concern other specific behavioral conditions, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and conduct disorder with destructive behavior symptoms, and discuss the importance of communication approaches during their treatment.

For the last decades, mental disorders are becoming prevalent among the elderly, which is principally caused by the aging world population, especially those belonging to the baby boomer generation. The third post highlights the importance of drawing healthcare providers’ attention to this phenomenon, which should determine the development of relevant communication strategies. In particular, the models should consider that individuals of previous generations have a specific set of distinguishing customs, habits, and ideas that reflects their communication different from that younger people use. In addition, the student recommends that providers take into account the inevitable age-related pathophysiological changes experienced by patients, including chronic illnesses, during the interaction.

The post designates that dementia is the most spread and significant health condition that affects the elderly ability to perform daily life activities, particularly their ability to perceive, process, and reproduce information. In this regard, to deliver effective communication, clinicians and nurses avoid haste in assessments and display genuine interest. Indeed, Butcher (2018) affirms that while caring for individuals with dementia, healthcare providers should pay more attention to explaining the applied medical procedures and other usual actions to alleviate patients’ fears, worries, and frustration. For instance, the patients should be notified about blood sampling, toilet procedures, and dressing to ensure that they interpret these help appropriately.

The post indicates that repeating and rewording, and summarizing key points in the conversation are essential communicative methods when caring for the elderly. Additionally, maintaining eye contact and active listening help patients feel respect and express themselves. Finally, the student emphasizes the importance of building reliable and transparent relationships with a power of attorney (POA), which is also a correct idea. Close cooperation with POAs promotes determining patients’ needs and health concerns and forming relevant strategies that provide high-quality healthcare.

Bell, J., & Condren, M. (2016). Communication strategies for empowering and protecting children. The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics , 21 (2), 176-184.

Burke, A. (2020). Therapeutic Communication: NCLEX-RN. RegisteredNursing.org. Web.

Butcher, L. (2018). Caring for patients with dementia in the acute care setting. British Journal of Nursing , 27 (7), 358-362.

Miller, E., & McCaw, B. (2019). Intimate partner violence. New England Journal of Medicine , 380 (9), 850-857.

Role of the Pediatric Nurse in the Promotion of Health in School
Weight Loss in Breastfeeding Babies: Definition of Medical Diagnosis
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Dementia: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions
Dementia: Mental Health of Patients and Caregivers
The Issue of Childhood Obesity
The Child Asthma Emergency Department Visits
Infants With Cleft Lip and Palate: Nutritional Assessment
Parents’ Immunization Decisions and Complex Issues in Toddlers
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Chicago (A-D)
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IvyPanda. (2022, September 26). Effective Communication: Healthcare. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-communication-healthcare/

"Effective Communication: Healthcare." IvyPanda , 26 Sept. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/effective-communication-healthcare/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Effective Communication: Healthcare'. 26 September.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Effective Communication: Healthcare." September 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-communication-healthcare/.

1. IvyPanda . "Effective Communication: Healthcare." September 26, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/effective-communication-healthcare/.