How can you encourage effective communication between providers and patients?
Communication skills are a necessity when you need to speak to a wide variety of people. Learning how to improve communication skills will make you a better nurse by enabling you to better understand your patient’s needs. Communicating effectively with your patients will make accomplishing your daily nursing tasks much simpler by minimizing the barriers to mutual understanding. Show
Effective Patient and Family CommunicationConsidering your patient’s perspective is key to preventing encounters that resemble any kind of conflict, and sometimes the best way to achieve that is to, quite literally, get on their level. Not only does effective communication reassure patients and their families, but communication can have an impact on patient care and health and streamline processes in the day-to-day work of a nurse. It shows the humanistic side of the nurse (or any healthcare professional), building trust and happy healing. 1. Assess Your Body LanguageHave your body at the same level as the patient to prevent distraction and ensure that your sole focus is on them. If necessary, sit in a chair so that you can be face to face and making eye contact, versus leaning over or squating. And, always face the patient while speaking. 2. Make Your interactions Easier for ThemWhen communicating with a patient, keep your sentences and questions short, stay on one topic at a time, and explain difficult concepts in clear terms. Even though nurses are well-researched and knowledgeable, it’s important to speak in Layman’s Terms and simple concepts unless otherwise requested by the patient. 3. Show Them the Proper RespectAccommodate you patient’s requests as much as is safe and prudent. Rather than speaking in commands, offer them choices and if needed, provide redirection. Strive to help them maintain their dignity. This is especially important if you’re working in a skilled nursing facility. 4. Have PatienceDepending on your patient’s age, illness, or cognitive difficulties, they may move and speak more slowly than you do. Give them time to move at their own pace. Positive patient communications need not be rushed. It’s helpful to think about putting yourself in their shoes and imagine how you would want to be treated with respect and compassion. 5. Monitor Your MechanicsExpanding on the concept of making the interactions easier for the patients, it’s important to speak clearly and slowly, louder than you usually do, but without yelling. Enunciate complex words carefully and use simple language as much as possible. 6. Provide Simple Written instructions When NecessaryUse graphics where possible. Patients coming out of surgery or trauma are less likely to remember everything you’ve told them. In fact, it may be challenging for even a family member to remember the advisement you provide when emotions come into play. An easy-to-follow list of the basic concepts you’ve discussed will help to ensure compliance with their plan of care. Writing is a more permanent form of communication and may spark questions once the patient reads and digests the information. 7. Give Your Patients Ample Time to Respond or Ask QuestionsNot rushing through instructions or responses will help your patients feel like a valued partner in the management of their own health and make communicating effectively more likely. Asking questions builds rapport because the patient has the opportunity to provide information from their end or offer their own opinions. Communication Barriers in NursingA study featured in the Global Journal of Health Science shared that according to the patients in their study, the most dominant communication barriers were gender differences between nurse and patient, the nurse’s reluctance for communication, a hectic environment of the ward or facility, and the patient’s anxiety, pain, and physical discomfort. On the flipside, the most frequent communication barriers from the nurses’ viewpoint in this study were as follows: differences in colloquial languages of nurses and patients, nurses’ being overworked, family interference, and the presence of emergency patients in the ward. Importance of Patient and Family CommunicationBased on patient and nurse experience, the communication barrier could be conquered through compassion and patience. Distractions and emergencies never cease, and the workload never dwindles. It’s important for nurses to not only follow this list of communication tools, but to also avoid conveying their burdens or stress to their patients in order to achieve harmony. Are you ready to put your communication skills to good use? Browse our open job positions or talk to a recruiter today! This document reflects emerging concepts on patient safety and is subject to change. The information should not be construed as dictating an exclusive course of treatment or procedure to be followed. ABSTRACT: Physicians’ ability to effectively and compassionately communicate information is key to a successful patient–physician relationship. The current health care environment demands increasing clinical productivity and affords less time with each patient, which can impede effective patient–physician communication. The use of patient-centered interviewing, caring communication skills, and shared decision making improves patient–physician communication. Involving advanced practice nurses or physician assistants may improve the patient’s experience and understanding of her visit. Electronic communication with established patients also can enhance the patient experience in select situations. Physicians’ ability to effectively and compassionately communicate information is key to a successful patient–physician relationship. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education identified interpersonal and communication skills as one of six areas in which physicians-in-training need to demonstrate competence . This Committee Opinion reviews interviewing techniques to help the busy obstetrician–gynecologist effectively obtain a complete medical history, and discusses communication skills to assist in effectively relaying treatment plans. Patient outcomes depend on successful communication. The physician who encourages open communication may obtain more complete information, enhance the prospect of a more accurate diagnosis, and facilitate appropriate counseling, thus potentially improving adherence to treatment plans that benefits long-term health. This type of communication, which may be referred to as the partnership model, increases patient involvement in their health care through negotiation and consensus-building between the patient and physician . In the partnership model, physicians use a participatory style of conversation, where physicians and patients spend an equal amount of time talking . The partnership model is one of several communication models that improves patient care and reduces the likelihood of litigation. Another communication tool, AIDET, developed by Studer Group, is gaining popularity among a number of hospitals. The fundamentals of AIDET are Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank you Box 1 . The RESPECT model, which is widely used to promote physicians’ awareness of their own cultural biases and to develop physicians’ rapport with patients from different cultural backgrounds, includes seven core elements: 1) rapport, 2) empathy, 3) support, 4) partnership, 5) explanations, 6) cultural competence, and 7) trust Box 2 . Box 1.AIDET® Five Fundamentals of Patient CommunicationAcknowledgeBeing attentive and greeting the patient in a positive mannerIntroduceGiving your name, your role, and your skill setDurationGiving a reasonable time expectationExplanationMaking sure the patient is knowledgeable and informedThank youShowing appreciation to the patient for her cooperation Studer Group is the author and owner of this work. AIDET® is a trademark of Studer Group. Reprinted with permission. Box 2.The RESPECT ModelRapport
Empathy
Support
Partnership
Explanations
Cultural Competence
Trust
Reprinted from Toward Culturally Competent Care: A Toolbox for Teaching Communication Strategies by permission of the Center for Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco, 2002. Inequality in Patient CommunicationIn 2003, the Institute of Medicine issued a report detailing the importance of patient-centered care and cross-cultural communication as a means of improving health care quality across patient groups . Differences between physicians and patients, including culture, gender, race, and religion, can introduce bias into patient–physician communication. Two seminal studies have documented differences in how race and gender can affect care. Cooper and colleagues found that African American patients were substantially less likely to report equal speaking time (ie, participatory decision making) compared with white patients . Schulman and colleagues reported gender and racial differences in how physicians communicated about cardiac catheterization . Developing Effective CommunicationDeveloping effective patient–physician communication requires skill in conducting patient-centered interviews; conversing in a caring, communicative fashion; and engaging in shared decision making with patients . Physicians may consider five steps for effective patient-centered interviewing as shown in . The following four qualities are important components of caring, effective communication skills: 1) comfort, 2) acceptance, 3) responsiveness, and 4) empathy . Comfort and acceptance refer to the physician’s ability to discuss difficult topics without displaying uneasiness, and the ability to accept the patient’s attitudes without showing irritation or intolerance. Responsiveness and empathy refer to the ability to react positively to indirect messages expressed by a patient. These skills allow the physician to understand the patient’s point of view and incorporate it into treatment . The four qualities may be applied to the following scenarios:
An extension of the partnership model is the concept of shared decision making, which is defined as a process where both patients and physicians share information, express treatment preferences, and agree on a treatment plan . The process is applicable if two or more reasonable medical options exist . The physician shares with the patient the relevant risk and benefit information on all reasonable treatment alternatives and the patient shares with the physician all relevant personal information that might make one treatment more or less tolerable than others . This paradigm of communication may be a marked departure from the traditional doctor-centered model. An example of shared decision making is that of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel on vaginal birth after cesarean delivery . The Consensus Panel recommended that the decision for vaginal birth after cesarean delivery or repeat cesarean delivery should occur only after a conversation between the patient and her physician, incorporating the risks and benefits and the patient’s preferences. Shared decision making can increase patient engagement and reduce risk with resultant improved outcomes, satisfaction, and treatment adherence . Communication and Information TechnologyThe use of information technology has been identified by the Institute of Medicine as one of the critical forces necessary to improve the quality of health care in the United States. An increasing number of physicians are using electronic health records and web messaging to communicate with their patients. Health information technology systems should be compatible with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and flexible enough to accommodate state privacy laws . It is important to use appropriate safeguards when communicating electronically with patients. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule allows covered health care providers to communicate electronically, provided they apply reasonable safeguards when doing so. Further, while the Privacy Rule does not prohibit the use of unencrypted e-mail for treatment-related communication between health care providers and patients, other safeguards should be applied to reasonably protect privacy, such as limiting the amount or type of information disclosed through unencrypted e-mail . The physician time spent answering and managing e-mail should be acknowledged, and efforts should be made to advocate for compensation for additional time spent by physicians and staff to provide this service. When the patient has a complicated question or issues or has questions regarding symptoms, face-to-face contact between the physician and the patient may be preferable. Recommendations for the Obstetrician–GynecologistThe competing demands of clinical productivity , increasing paperwork, the rigidity of using electronic medical records that encourage providers to only complete the check boxes on the screen and not engage the patient in conversation, and the delivery of care to multiple patients, often with complex diagnoses , can inhibit effective communication. Developing effective patient–physician communication requires a substantial commitment in an increasingly challenging environment with declining clinical reimbursements and increasing expenses. It may well be that, in the long term, effective communication skills save time by increasing patient adherence to treatment, thereby reducing the need for follow-up calls and visits. The obstetrician–gynecologist can take the following steps to improve communication:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ ResourcesCultural sensitivity and awareness in the delivery of health care. Committee Opinion No. 493. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2011;117:1258–61. Health literacy. Committee Opinion No. 585. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2014;123:380–3. Partnering with patients to improve safety. Committee Opinion No. 490. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol 2011;117:1247–9. Other ResourcesThe following resources are for information purposes only. Referral to these sources and web sites does not imply the endorsement of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These resources are not meant to be comprehensive. The exclusion of a source or web site does not reflect the quality of that source or web site. Please note that web sites are subject to change without notice. Institute for Healthcare Communication, Inc. Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care Frampton S, Guastello S, Brady C, Hale M, Horowitz S, Bennett Smith S, et al. Patient-centered care improvement guide. Derby (CT): Planetree; 2008. Available at: http://planetree.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Patient-Centered-Care-Improvement-Guide-10-28-09-Final.pdf. Retrieved October 24, 2013. How can you improve communication between nurses and patients?Smile and use a calm and welcoming voice. Provide comfort when patients need to be comforted. Always show respect to your patients. Understanding who the patients are as individuals will help the nurse connect with them and will make them feel more comfortable while receiving care and treatment.
What factors help promote effective communication between the nurse and patient?10 Effective Communication Skills for Nurses. Verbal Communication. Excellent verbal communication is key. ... . Nonverbal Communication. ... . Active Listening. ... . Written Communication. ... . Presentation Skills. ... . Patient Education (Patient Teach-Back) ... . Making Personal Connections. ... . Trust.. What is effective communication between doctor and patient?A doctor's communication and interpersonal skills encompass the ability to gather information in order to facilitate accurate diagnosis, counsel appropriately, give therapeutic instructions, and establish caring relationships with patients.2–4 These are the core clinical skills in the practice of medicine, with the ...
What are five ways to promote effective communication?TOP 5 methods of promoting effective communication and relationships at work. Promote a communication-friendly space.. Inspire teammates to get involved in the planning process.. Give and receive feedback.. Have one-on-one meetings.. Use active listening.. |