Effective Communication Strategies in Health and Social Care Settings

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Part – 1 (Essay Assessment Brief)
Introduction
This evidence-based essay will provide an evidence-based definition of
communication and evaluate the key attributes of effective
communication strategies in health and social care settings. The essay will
discuss a range of theoretical concepts regarding health and social care
communication in the context of signifying the relevance of effective
communication strategies to improve the quality of healthcare services.
The essay will describe various communication barriers that
predominantly impact healthcare delivery and deteriorate the treatment
outcomes to a considerable extent. The essay will also discuss the
mitigative strategies that require implementation with the core objective
of surpassing the communication barriers in the health/social care
settings. The presented essay will explore the significance of
communication strategies in overcoming the healthcare and treatment
biases experienced by the patient population across the clinical practice
and social care environments.
Body of Work
Communication Definition and Types
Communication is defined as the back and forth process that facilitates
the back and forth dissemination of messages between the individuals.
The different types of communication include the verbal, non-verbal, oral,
and interpersonal communication. People engage in interpersonal

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communication by sending a range of significant messages while utilizing
their auditory, visual, and somatic senses (Bach & Grant 2015). Non-
verbal and verbal thoughts need to be systematically encoded by the
sender and decoded by the receiver for establishing a linear
communication framework. Communication in health and social care is
regarded as a skill-based performance that effectively utilizes the
perceptual-motor capacity of individuals and engages their body
movement in a coordinated manner (Hargie 2006). A systematic
communication process warrants the development of active listening skills
and empathetic attitude in accordance with the nature of health/social
care activities. Communication experts refrain from reflecting stereotypic
attitude across the clinical practice environment (Moss 2015).
The Significance of Communication in Health/Social Care
The imprecise and inaccurate interpersonal communication strategies of
the NHS health/social care teams resulted in Baby Peter’s death in his in
the cot (GP 2009). This historical event indicates the incapacity of nurses
and other healthcare workers to communicate the significant health and
social care concerns of the children to the hospital administration and
other legal bodies. This communication deficit substantially impacts the
child’s referral process and leads to significant delays in the
administration of appropriate psychosocial and treatment interventions.
The concerned nurses and social care in baby Pater’s case failed to
recognize his bruises and injury locations in a timely manner. The lack of
interdisciplinary communication between the nurses and healthcare/social

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care workers delayed the referral process that eventually caused baby
Peter’s death in a miserable situation. These facts necessitate the use of
effective communication strategies to improve the interpersonal
engagement of nurses/social care workers in the context of enhancing the
decision-making and patient monitoring processes in the health and social
care settings (Rungapadiachy 2008).
Key Features of Effective Communication
An effective communication promotes the listening process in the context
of retrieving significant information to attain a better insight into the
speaker’s perceptions or apprehension (NRC 2011). A systematic
communication process helps the individuals to coherently express their
feelings and requirements under amicable conditions. The healthcare
professionals utilize non-verbal and verbal communication methods while
concomitantly improving their active listening skills across the clinical
practice environment. This effectively barricades the generation of
irrelevant responses and unnecessary criticism during the interactive
process. Eventually, the concerned professionals acquire the opportunity
to paraphrase the communicated information in the context of
ascertaining their attentiveness and understanding of the treated
patients’ significant concerns (Robertson 2005).