...Doctors’ Communication Skills Affect Patient Health? Margarita Michalsky Montana State University Exploring Communications Studies 200 [ April 19, 2014 ] Dr. Daniel D. Gross Abstract One of the biggest complaints that a patient has is their inability to effectively communicate with their physician. A patients’ fear and intimidation of their physician can prevent them from being forthcoming about their symptoms and lifestyle behaviors. In addition, the lack of effective listening that the physician possesses can also limit the patients’ ability to express their needs. Effective communication is imperative to the health outcomes of the patient and this paper will look at how the communication style of the patient’s physician can affect those outcomes. Do Doctors’ Communication Skills Affect Patient Health? Healthcare is always in the news. You cannot turn on your television or pick up a newspaper without seeing something about healthcare. One of the main topics of discussion is the quality of healthcare that patients are receiving from their physicians. However, quality is not solely based on the knowledge of the patient’s physician; it can be also based on the ability of the patient to effectively communicate with their physician. Patients complain that they cannot effectively talk with their physicians because they are either intimidated or they do not feel their physician actually listens to what they say. Thus, do doctors’ communication skills affect...
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...Collaborative Communication: Integrating SBAR to Improve Quality/Patient Safety Outcomes Cynthia D. Beckett, Gayle Kipnis Purpose/Evidence-Based Practice Question Collaborative communication and teamwork are essential elements for quality care and patient safety. Adverse patient occurrences are an extremely common outcome of communication failures (Leonard, Graham, & Bonacum, 2004). In 2004, the Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) analyzed 2,455 sentinel events from hospitals across the United States and reported through root cause analysis over 70% of the events were due to communication failures, and approximately 75% of the patients involved died (Leonard et al., 2004). Although improving communication has been included as a Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goal for hospitals since 2003, in 2006, handoff communications were included as a specific communication subset. NPSG 02.05.01 states ‘‘The organization implements a standardized approach to handoff communications, including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions’’ (Joint Commission, 2006). Michael Leonard, MD, from Kaiser Permanente- Denver introduced a collaborative communication tool to support patient safety and outcomes. The structured communication tool is Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) (Haig, Sutton, & Whittington, 2006). The SBAR tool provides a framework for organizing information...
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...Healthcare Communication HCS/350 June 2nd, 2014 Healthcare Communication “In general, health communication is concerned with the application of communication concepts and theories to transactions that occur among individuals on health related issues” (Northouse & Northouse, 1998, p. 3). Because most health care providers in a given setting share the same patients it is essential for better continuity of care to maintain and practice an open communication among all disciplines. With better multidisciplinary communication, there is better integration of all the aspects of the patient’s health care needs, which are achieved effectively and efficiently. Healthcare communication is fundamentally the pillar of a healthcare facility. It helps to coordinate and manage patient care. An absence of communication among health care providers will create an unsafe environment for all patients. Care would be sporadic and chaotic with no sense of direction and the outcome will be detrimental to the health of the patient and unnecessary financially stressful, thus placing great relevancy on both effective personal and professional healthcare communications. The importance of these issues will be discussed, as well, as the outcome of a lack of communication. Relevancy of Effective Personal Healthcare Communication with other health care professionals, clients, patients. Effective personal healthcare communication is vital between healthcare professionals, clients and patients. Health...
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...There are various methods and styles of communication that are merely more than two or more people agreeing on a given subject but is about understanding differing views, information, and, or sharing ideas. However, this cannot be accomplished through and ineffective process. This paper will discuss the importance of effective communication, healthcare communication, therapeutic communication and its effects on outcome, and the effects of lack of communication on outcomes. Communication is the process by which information is shared, received, interpreted, and responded. It is verbal and nonverbal that includes gestures, facial expressions, body language, etc. Effective communication is essential in developing and maintaining professional contacts, interactions, and, or relationships. However, effective communication skills must be learned because they are not simply developed. They must be taught, practiced, and refreshed on a regular basis through formal and informal training in order to achieve and maintain effective skills. “We hear only half of what is said to us, understand half of that, believe only half of that, and remember half of that” (Cyr, n.d.). Therefore to effectively communicate, one must be mindful of what is said verbally and nonverbally because communication directly and indirectly affects the outcome of situations. Healthcare communication is possibly the most vital method or style of communication that requires training because it is...
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...Care Communication Paper HCS/350 Health Care Communication University of Phoenix Personal & Professional Healthcare Communication Paper Professional and effective communication is a vital ingredient to safe and high quality nursing practice. Proper communication with other co-workers, physicians, ancillary staff, patients, and their families is a required skill necessary for all practicing, professional healthcare professionals. Communicating with others has become second nature to us, but are we communicating properly with one another on a day to day basis? The purpose of this paper is to define healthcare communication, identify the relevancy of effective personal healthcare communication with other healthcare professionals, clients/patients; to identify the relevancy of effective professional healthcare communication to health outcomes, to discuss how the lack of effective personal and professional healthcare communication contributes to poor health outcomes; and to discuss theories and principles of therapeutic communication in healthcare settings for healthcare professionals. According to Northouse and Northouse (1998), “communication is the process of sharing information using a set of common rules.” As we all know, communicating with others in the healthcare settings is a complex and multifaceted process that relies on clear and concise delivery of messages, undivided attention from all parties, and full understanding from all. “Healthcare communication is a subset...
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...Care Communication Health care communication is the process of sharing health related information with health care professionals, and people seeking care within a medical facility. Using positive health care communication patients are can improve his or her quality of life, health professionals collaborate to resolve difficult solutions, and interact effectively with other health care staff with the patient’s best interest in mind. Effectively using verbal and nonverbal communication health care professionals improve their ability to share information, and interpret responses both personally and professionally. This paper will explain the relevancy of positive health care communication, the effects of inadequate communication, and the theories and principles of therapeutic communication that health professionals use in the health care setting. Personal health care communication allows an individual to create trusting and supportive relationships within the health care setting. The health care professional begins to establish these relationships with patients and clients during the interview process. Using empathy, positive regard, and congruence the health professional can build a rapport with the patient or client. The health care professional remains aware of aspects from his or her own beliefs, values, and perceptions that may influence these interactions with others. Maintaining a non-threating, nonbiased pattern of communication helps facilitate the patient or client’s...
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...Communication Effective patient centered care is maintained through effective communication. Communication is imperative in the healthcare field, and without it healthcare would be deadly disorganized. Both nurses and providers need to be able to interact with each other professionally, as well as thoroughly with the patients. Communication between patients and healthcare providers Communication is one important key quality in healthcare. “Verbal communication consists of the spoken word and requires functional physiologic and cognitive mechanisms that produce, recognize, and receive speech” (Hood, 2014, p.82). When communication is in effect, positive outcomes come about. When patients communicate their needs to the nurses, this initiates the beginning of every test and procedure the patient will have to endure. When information is passed on from the patent to the nurse, the nurse should restate what has been said. “Validation of meanings is essential to achieving any therapeutic goals in helping relationships” (Hood, 2014, p.82). Restating what the patient has said will not only put them at ease for no misunderstandings, but will let the patient recognize that they are being actively heard. When this ease occurs patients become more susceptible to getting test and procedures done because trust is being formed. With effective communication the nurse builds a positive helping relationship between them and the patient. “Helping relationships are those in which...
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...Disruptive Clinician Behavior and the Effect on Patient Outcomes Abstract Hostility and disruptive behavior within healthcare facilities have been identified as factors that may contribute to poor patient outcomes. Studies have been conducted that have assessed bad behavior on the part of patients and patients’ families, but of more recent concern are disruptive behaviors by physicians and other healthcare workers. In an effort to reduce the frequency of these incidents of disruptive behavior mandates have been issued regarding the implementation of policies and procedures which specifically address disruptive behavior among healthcare workers. The aim of this paper is to review research relevant to frequency of disruptive behavior among healthcare workers, the effect of this type of behavior on clinical outcomes, and efforts to decrease its incidence. Disruptive Behavior is a Cause of Poor Patient Outcomes Disruptive behavior has been recently defined by the American Medical Association, and The Joint Commission now requires the facilities they accredit to create a plan to outline acceptable behaviors, unacceptable behaviors and how they will address the latter (Rosenstein & O’Daniel, 2005.) Members of the healthcare team should receive training in regards to an organization’s Code of Conduct. Causes of disruptive behavior may include a culture of power among physicians, a culture of oppression among nurses (especially female nurses when dealing with...
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...Status 3 Plan For Compliance 3 Provider and staff education 4 Care team communication 4 Patient Discharge Education 4 Justification 5 Works Cited 6 Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to summarize, analyze and evaluate the compliance status of Nightingale Hospital to Joint Commission requirements. This report will focus on medication management, specifically anticoagulation therapy and the patient and staff education associated with it. In an effort to maintain the highest quality of care for our patients, we must continue to work towards a reduction in adverse anticoagulation related events. This will involve proper pre-discharge instructions and education with the patient and improved communication between the nurses, physicians and pharmacists to ensure the best possible outcomes. Compliance Status Source: (Nightingale Community Hospital, 2014) As the preceding graph shows, the adverse events related to anticoagulation therapy is trending downward. However, this leaves ample room for improvement of current processes to continue the downward movement to zero incidents. Continued progress in the area of medication management is required to maintain TJC standards compliance and is listed as a National Patient Safety Goal for the current term (The Joint Commission, 2015). During TJC audit two years ago, it was found that the hospital lacked documentation of appropriate patient evaluation/education (PC.02.03.01), was not effectively managing its policies...
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...Leadership involves different processes and characteristics which may or may not be applicable or advantageous in certain areas and settings. Different leadership style has its own advantages and disadvantages that could affect the outcomes and objectives. Furthermore, leadership in a hospital or inpatient setting is crucial that could affect the turnover, job satisfaction, performance and most importantly the services provided by the nurses which may affect patient outcomes and patient safety. In this essay, it will discuss different leadership styles such as autocratic, bureaucratic and democratic leadership style and its’ relationship to the safety of patient specifically the factors in medication errors in an inpatient setting. According...
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...There are many ways communication takes place. Health care communication is one particular type of communication. It is a narrowed to deal with how we deal with health care related issues. Any time communication is based on health care issues it’s considered health communication. Healthcare communication allows health care professionals to be able to communicate in a effective way. Communication is how we learn, teach, and express. The US department of health and human services states that “health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that affect health ("Health Communication", 2012).” Personal health care communication with other health professionals, clients, and patients is imperative because proper healthcare depends on it. Healthcare professionals must communicate properly with each other in order to understand the needs of the patient. Healthcare is dependent on team work therefore the team must communicate the necessary information effectively. Healthcare providers must communicate personal healthcare information with their patients. This is the only effective way to help patients understand what is happening concerning their health. Healthcare providers need to be sure they communicate at a level the patient can understand. They need to also be aware of things that effect the patients communication such as language, or education barriers. Heath communication must not be affected...
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...Personal and Professional Health Care Communication Priscilla Hickman HCS/350 August 11, 2014 Michael Veal Personal and Professional Health Care Communication Health Care Communication is vital to the well being of patients in the health care setting. Clear and concise communication is key in the outcome of patient care. “Health communication is a multidimensional process and includes aspects from both the sender and the receiver of the message” (Arnold & Boggs, 2011, p. 103). This paper will discuss the importance of effective personal health care communication with other health care professionals, clients, and patients, effects of communication to health outcomes, lack of effective personal and professional health care communications contributing to poor health outcomes, and theories and principles of therapeutic communication in health care settings for health care professional. Communication between health care professionals is a team effort. Each team member communication with each must be clear and concise. Communication between health care professionals can affect the safety of the patient. Communication is passed through many different people in a patients stay. Communication is handed off between nurses shift to shift, transfer in departments, nurses to physicians, and nurses to nursing assistants. Miscommunication can lead to medical errors. Medical errors include unclear medical orders, patient status, or critical lab values. In order to...
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...Health Literacy and Outcomes in Pregnancy: A Systematic Literature Review Pregnancy and childbirth is often a woman’s first adult encounter with the health care system (Ferguson, 2008). Pregnant women need to have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to best interact with the complex health care system. Outcomes such as low birth weight, premature delivery and breastfeeding rates have significant influence on a child’s health as well as increased cost to the system. The medical cost of a preterm birth is approximately three times more than a term birth. In 2005, the estimated cost associated with preterm birth was $26.2 billion when accounting for medical, educational and lost productivity costs (Institute of Medicine,...
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...Nursing communication 2 Nursing seems to be facing more various challenges as today. These include nurses’ shortages, communication, freeze of salary and many more. In this essay, communication in the nursing field-its importance and the impact on nursing practise will be explained. The impact communication has on the safety of the patients and quality of care they received will also be evaluated. Communication is the transfer of information between the nurse, the patient, the patient’s family and among other health workers in the team (Anderson L, L 2013). Communication in general include verbal and written, information are exchanged in form of written and spoken language. Non-verbal communication involves exchange of information without using words, sometimes known as body language, which simplifies understanding of complex meanings of the spoken word. This also includes touch and sight (Weimann & Giles, 1988). Communication in it various forms is a keystone of basic nursing practice and an essential skill across all settings of care to identify the patient's goals of care. The importance of effective communication is vital in all aspect of nursing that is why I have chosen it as a major challenge facing nurses today. The implications of communication deficiencies impact the whole nursing practice. From clinical assessment, attention to physical symptoms and psychosocial concerns of the patients are only achieved through effective communication. The responses to suffering...
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...Personal and Professional Health Care Communication Katherine Halpin, RN, CNOR HCS/350 July, 29, 2013 Tracy Andrews Personal and Professional Health Care Communication Communication, according to The Free Dictionary, is “the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing or behaviors.” “The scope of health communication includes disease prevention, health promotion, health care policy, and the business of health care as well as enhancement of the quality of life and health within the community.” (Healthy People, 2010). In the development and maintenance of personal and professional relationships, communication is vital. Communication can be verbal or nonverbal. Body language and facial expressions can be powerful communication tools. For healthcare personal effective communication is necessary in providing the best care for the patient and enhances the ability to make informed decisions. Effective communication can enhance patients’ outcomes and the collaboration between various health care team members. Communication takes place between the patient, their family, doctors, nurses, PT’s, PCT’s and ancillary staff. For the health care team to receive and deliver the correct information, the data collected must be accurate, up to date and pertinent. Research evidence indicates there are strong relationships between a healthcare team member’s communication skills and a patient’s capacity to follow through with medical recommendations,...
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