Healthcare Communication

Healthcare Communication

Healthcare Communication

Introduction

Communication is an important aspect of an organization, regardless of the field that it is used in. Interactive communication between individuals is something that may only be obtained through spoken words or other means. In order for communication to occur, there is always a need for two people, and the ability to communicate among them is determined by the easiness that is between them, of relationship. This ability to communicate in an effective and efficient manner is especially important for people who have chosen health care as their profession, and aim to build a strong method of interaction between patients and clients, and professionals alike. In this paper, I will be examining how communication is effectively used in order for the health care profession to thrive. I will be analyzing modes of communication and other important aspects in the context of health care and social work.

Discussion

There are several reasons that a professional may need to communicate with a patient and it becomes absolutely vital that communication be done in an effective and easy manner without any occurrences of misunderstanding or hostility towards the patient. Health care professionals often communicate regularly with patients, as well as temporary or permanent residents, or clients. They may also need to enquire after other health care professions or managers and supervisors. Of course, friends and family fall under this category as well, since at the end of the day they are the ones in need of communication the most.

Most health care professionals often come across barriers when dealing with some or all of the above, and these barriers could alter the relationship between professional and patient since there may be hostility or even shyness developing on one side. Barriers could include speech impediments due to certain types of disabilities or illnesses. For example, Dementia is an illness that renders a patient speechless, as well as strokes that may cause slurs in the speech of a patient. Deafness may also affect severely the manner, in which an individual communicates, as well as poor sight, noisy environment or other bodily illnesses. If a patient is based out of a noisy background, they will often face hearing and communication barriers when talking to peers or professionals. This is because loud noises may affect the hearing in people since the mechanisms inside the ear are especially sensitive and fragile. Another barrier in communication may be that an individual has poor cognitive skills, for example, some learning disabilities cause an individual to confuse words and letters as well as sounds, and they may feel that they are losing the easiness with which they communicated before. Verbal difference is an obvious barrier, i.e., when an individual speaks another language rather than the one majority speaks, they may have intense communication problems that would lead to frustration and anger. If a professional is working with a particular individual who suffers from dementia, there could be several difficulties that could be faced especially as the disease gradually progresses and inevitably, ...