Foundations of Communication

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Foundations of Communication
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Foundations of Communication

• Communication is the act of transmitting
• Exchange of information using words
• Includes both the spoken and written word
• A process by which information is exchanged
  between individuals through a common system of
  symbols, signs, or behavior

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Why Communicate?

• Establish and maintain relationships
• To persuade and change attitudes or behavior
• Develop an understanding of other people
• Problem solve

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Verbal Communication in Health Care

• Interactions with patients, families and
  co-workers
• Giving reports to other health care professionals
• Documenting patient care

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Elements of Communication Process

• Message verbal or nonverbal stimuli
• Sender creator of message
• Receiver If there is no one to receive the
  message, communication is incomplete

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Message

• Use terms that the receiver can understand
• Medical terms must be modified or defined

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Sender

• Deliver message in a clear and concise manner
• good grammar
• correct pronunciation
• avoid slang
• not too fast or too slow
• Written communication should have correct
  grammar, spelling and punctuation

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Receiver

• Must be able to hear and receive the message
• Interruptions or distractions must be avoided

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Two Types of Communication

• Verbal Communication
• includes verbal messages speaking to
  someone and
• written communication

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• Nonverbal communication
• all messages that are not expressed as words.
• - eye contact shows that you are paying
  attention
• - facial expressions can relay a
  different message than what you
  are saying

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• - Gestures convey interest and a lack of
  interest can be used to emphasize or get
  attention
• - touch can convey caring, warmth, concern
  and tendernesscan also convey anger,
  rejection and distaste

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Barriers to Effective Communication

• Defense mechanisms
• Compensation substitution of one goal for
  another goal to achieve success
• Denial refusal to believe
• Displacement of anger feelings about one person
  are transferred to another
• Projection blame for ones behavior is placed
  on someone else or circumstances
• Rationalization use of a reasonable excuse for
  ones behavior

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Barriers in Health Care Communication

• Heavily medicated clients
• Slang and words with double meanings
• Clients with limited English
• Medical Terminology
• Mental or physiological condition
• Patients with visual or hearing impairment

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Clients with hearing or visual impairments

• Use body language such as gestures or signs
• Speak clearly in short sentences
• Face the person you are speaking o
• Write out messages
• Make use hearing aid are working properly
• Dont chew gum or cover mouth

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Impaired Vision

• Describe things which are happening and what you
  want the person to do
• Announce your presence as you enter a room
• Use touch to orient the person to where you are
• Do not move things without telling the person
• Tell the person when you are leaving

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Effective Communication

• Verbal messages must be clear, complete, concise,
  courteous, and cohesive
• Nonverbal communication (body language) may
  change the message

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Effective Listening

• Involves both hearing and interpreting messages
• Requires focusing on body language and the
  message being sent
• May be passive or active
• Active listening is very important in the medical
  profession to gather information ( for
  example, when interviewing a patient for their
  medical history.

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A Patient-centered Approach

• You want to admit an elderly lady with abdominal
  pain for a series of investigations, but she is
  resistant to coming into hospital. Indicate which
  of the following reasons might account for this.
• 1. She is frightened that she is seriously ill.
• 2. She does not like to leave her cat on its
  own.
• 3. She is vegetarian and is worried that she
  wont be able to eat hospital food .
• 4. She does not want anyone to know that she
  snores.
• 5. She cannot afford a new nightgown.

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Answer

• Any one of the reasons could explain the ladys
  resistance to being admitted.

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Conveying a Positive Attitude

• Health care professionals must be aware of their
  own bias and attitudes when sending and receiving
  both verbal and nonverbal messages to avoid
  interfering with quality client care

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Positive Attitude

• Receiver must have trust in the sender before
  they accept a message
• If a patient feels a health care professional
  does not know what they are talking about, they
  may not accept the information or treatment

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Positive Attitude

• Be willing to say I dont know, but I will find
  that information for you when asked a question
  for which you do not have knowledge.

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• Clinicians should aim to keep explanations as
  clear and as concise as possible.
• That doesnt mean dismissing patients with a
  short We will need to test your urine. It means
  giving them the information they want but not
  more information than they need or require.
• So Id like to test your urine so I can see if
  the problems you are having are due to an
  infection' is better than I want to test your
  urine for white blood cells and bacteria.
• use laymans terms wherever possible
• explain medical terminology whenever possible
• keep words and sentences short
• check understanding by asking