PLX Academy · Personal Experience · 1 April 2022
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN HEALTHCARE
Еffective communication in healthcare is related with many benefits. It improves interactions between patients and healthcare providers, patient satisfaction and teamwork.
According to the American Hospital Association “Today’s healthcare environment makes effective communication among patients, families, and caregivers harder and harder to achieve. Hospital stays are shorter, medical care is more technologically complex, resources are constrained, and there is a growing need for patients and families to have more information about, and involvement in, decisions regarding care.”
Research evidence indicates that there is strong positive correlation between communication skills of care givers and patient willingness to follow through with medical recommendations, self-manage a chronic medical condition, and adopt preventive health behaviors.
Patient-centered, effective communication is paramount to the mutually beneficial interaction between patient and provider. Benefits of effective communication in healthcare are related with improved interactions between patient and healthcare provider, patient satisfaction, decrease of patient complains and improvement of internal team work.
Improved Patient-Provider Interactions
Improved health communication skills between patients and healthcare providers lead to better health outcomes for patients. Improved interactions between patients and healthcare providers is a skill that must be developed and learned over time. One basic communication skill for healthcare providers is knowing how to ask questions that foster discussion.
Both patients and providers generally have not been trained on how to ask questions to meet their informational goals. While it varies from patient to patient, there are times when patients are intimidated to ask further questions from providers, even if there is something of concern. Providers often ask closed-ended questions, which lead to simple yes or no answers rather than descriptive, information-rich responses.
Improved Patient Satisfaction
The personal connection that a patient feels with his or her provider can indirectly improve their health through active participation in their care, following treatment recommendations, and overall patient self-management. Patients’ perceptions of the quality of the healthcare they have received are highly dependent on the quality of their interactions with their healthcare provider, communication being a key interaction point throughout their experience from the waiting room to the doctor’s office.
Studies have shown that most malpractice claims were initiated as a result of a physician-patient relationship problem; litigious patients perceived their healthcare provider as uncaring. A healthcare provider’s ability to explain, listen, and empathize with their patients can have a positive effect on the health outcomes as well as patient satisfaction and overall experience of care.
Decrease of Patient Complaints & Re-admissions
Patients and providers benefit from increased access to medical histories, which significantly reduces the chances of medical errors. Patients, lab technicians, doctors, and healthcare staff all need to be in constant communication to create a system that operates as smoothly as possible. Establishing strong communication systems and protocols can prevent early patient discharges, misdiagnosis, and other errors that can lead to readmissions. Reports of poor communication causing adverse events, including wrong-site surgery, delay in treatment, falls, and medication errors are all too common complaints within health facilities.
Improvement of Internal Teamwork & Collaboration
Healthcare is often delivered by teams of professionals who represent different disciplines and domains of training. They usually are not trained on how to work together in teams, yet are expected to do so in highly effective ways. Developing inter-professional team communication and teamwork skills can improve team-based healthcare delivery for patients. Communication among internal healthcare team members influences the quality of working relationships, job satisfaction, and has a significant impact on patient safety.
There are practical ways for healthcare professionals to take action on improving their overall health communication. Active listening, responding appropriately to the patient’s needs and concerns, accurately assessing body language, and possessing a non-judgmental attitude are all necessary skills that healthcare professionals must possess. The importance of communication in the healthcare industry can help prevent further injuries, increase trust between the patient and provider, and strengthen relationships with internal staff members.
From the patient’s first interaction with a receptionist to the time they receive a medical bill, communication shapes their entire experience. At each step of the way, there is an opportunity to reduce the amount of friction a patient feels and provide more thoughtful care.
The receptionist can set proper expectations for waiting time, the nurse can ask thorough questions that help the doctor make an accurate diagnosis, and the doctor can provide clear instructions about treatment and what is needed for a full recovery. It is easy, from the provider’s perspective, to think of this as a high-functioning system that pumps patients in and out.
But at each step, the patient might be experiencing fear, anxiety or confusion. As they process those emotions, it becomes harder for them to process important information about medication, treatment, and recovery. Effective communication builds trust between the patient and the provider. Trust can combat negative emotions and make it easier for the patient to reach a clear understanding of whatever information is being relayed.