Evaluating Communication Strategies in the Healthcare Industry

This report comprehensively examines the critical role of communication within the healthcare industry. It begins by introducing relevant communication theories, including psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, and social cognitive approaches, and their application within health and social care contexts. The report then explores the practical use of communication skills, such as verbal and non-verbal techniques, emphasizing the impact of effective communication on patient satisfaction and the sharing of best practices. Furthermore, it addresses methods for handling inappropriate interpersonal communication, highlighting strategies like employee training, role definition, and open communication policies. The report also analyzes factors that influence communication, such as culture, values, legislation, and charters, emphasizing their importance in fostering equality and preventing discrimination. The report uses case studies to illustrate these concepts and concludes by underscoring the significance of these strategies in improving patient care, legal compliance, and overall healthcare outcomes. This report is available on Desklib, a platform offering AI-based study tools and past assignments for students.

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INTRODUCTION
Communication plays an important role in every aspect of business as it helps in boosting the
overall performance and assists in to build a cohesive and efficient team. A well-organized
communication skill are important to manage the performance of entire team and
communicate a suitable message to large groups and reduce the risk of industrial issues by
developing in organizations (Reeves and et. al., 2011).
Here, in this report a detailed evaluation has been accomplished to understand the
significance of communication in healthcare industry. It can also be considered as a channel
through which information gets exchanged among patients and doctors. A prominent
communication channel helps in to assess the details about patients and patients communicate
their requirements to health care staff. In this respect three different cases has been discussed
on various attributes of communication and accordingly analysis has been accomplished by
focusing on development of effective communication channels as it plays an important role in
the process of change management.
1.1 Relevant theories of communication to health and social care contexts
“There are various theoretical approaches of communiqué that are used in this industry and
can be aligned in the given case study. As, the situation in the case depicts about a patient
who arrived for skin predicament before time in the hospital was forced to wait for 40 long
minutes before getting assisted by any care taker.”
Eventually medical doctor came and briefed about some antibiotics and went, as a result
patient felt she was not properly diagnosed and have not been given any opportunity to voice
for her concerns (Charlesworth and et. al., 2010). Finally, it was found that patient was totally
dissatisfied with the health care corporation and was not certain about her treatment. Here, it
can be seen that there is a clear communication gap among the staff and patient and it
ultimately leads to negative word of mouth for organization and dissatisfaction among
patients. In this regard there are various theories given on proper communication in health
and social care as stated below;
Psychodynamic theory – “It is grounded on the work of Sigmund Freud who stated
that the theory merges all those who are united to psyche and does includes not only
the minds but also inner feelings that represents experiences and thoughts with
difference that precisely states about the concept that mind is not stable but remains
active.”

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“Psychodynamic theory also talks about the fact that interactions with every person is
very important as it helps in strengthening a person’s ability to communicate and also
helps in developing an assumption that every person writes his own history (Vactor,
2011)
“Other belief is that individuals lives in two worlds i.e. internal and external and every
behavior of them is done with a purpose. It is a very impactful as it helps in
determining the ways in which a person interacts within health and social care.
Behavioral theory –The strong factor about this theory is that behavior of every
individual is based on the kind of response generated from each stimuli. Behavioral
theory can be further described as a method of acquiring any language like in case of
infants when they imitate sound that a healthcare practitioner might make. This
further reinforces the ways in which infants behave leading to highlighting the current
as well as future condition.
Humanistic approach – In this the main highlight is person of interest that includes the
significance of behavior and it focuses on person centered and transactional analysis.
“With respect to healthcare companies, main motive humanistic approach is to make
its customers get open within their personal experiences so that challenges can be
reduced.” (Moonie, 2005)
To achieve this it is crucial to frame a prominent relation among therapist and clients
and it must be realistic and accept the critical conditions of client, through this
distance between therapist and client can be reduced.
Social cognitive theory – It gives more emphasis on observational learning and gives
focus on kind of treatment the way children are nurtured in home and it helps in to
shape the behavior form starting and is shaped as the child grows. “Social cognitive
theory also talks about the communication that takes place between people and their
surroundings using theoretical competencies such as the achievements that can be
modified and molded within the environment that exists like that of between parents,
guardians and societies, etc. (Wilkie and et. al., 2011)
1.2 Use of communication skills in a health and social care context
I ensure to make use of communication skills in a health and social care context in the best
possible manner. Verbal communication is the main technique that is used by me to
communicate with the patiemt and other professionals. In this aspect, I take care of tone of
voice, speak on similar level, pitch, and never talk at back.

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Non- verbal communication is mainly carried out by me with patients who has
difficulty in hearing. I take care of factors such as facial expression, hand gestures, body
posture and physical appearance (Fisher, 2005).
Here, in the given case the patient’s dissatisfaction raised only due to improper
communication among professional and client. In the present situation there must be a clear
verbal communication among the patient and nurse so that she could have been diagnosed
well and have provided the details about her skin problem. Active listening, open style of
questioning and different verbal communication would have helped both patient and nurse to
develop a proper connection. Due to lack of efficient communication skills the service user
was dissatisfied with the service provided by healthcare professionals (Collins, 2009).
Communication helps in to ensure that trends, best practices and innovative ideas are shared
among health care staff for the betterment of profession and is mostly utilized through diverse
mediums like print and other channels. Other than this, communiqué is also used for fostering
the relationships with the service users and also respecting their self-esteem by providing
regular assistance. This will help in stimulating the overall and intellectual development of
patients and also meeting their responsive needs.
“In order to gain higher benefits from improved communiqué practices, service providers and
care takers need to deal with all out of the box practices that are being followed in
communicating with each other. Like for example, if there is any constraint in channels of
communication, they should be resolved at the same time so as to avoid any
misunderstanding in the professional areas concerned” (Stewart and MacIntyre, 2013).
“1.3 methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication
1.3 Methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication
Service providers in healthcare sector should be in regular interaction with each other so that
they can understand patient’s needs and assist them in desired manner...”
Here, in present case, problem arise because of lack of communication and one of the factors
that can be considered as inappropriate practices in organizations. The patient with skin
problem in the case must be have been adequately treated firstly by the reporting nurse and
assessing her issues she should have been sent to doctors chamber for proper diagnose. It is
the duty of health and social care worker to provide information to patients and provide them
treatment in a systematic manner.

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There are several ways or strategies that need to be framed in health and social care
organization so that they can enhance their communication process. As the case depicts in the
due to absence of proper communication channels patient got dissatisfied and further
improvement in the hospital management. For this strategies needed to develop the process
are adequate training of employees, defining roles and responsibilities, open communication
and framing prominent policies and plans.
Reasons for inappropriate communication between physician and the patient
In the above mentioned cases, inappropriate mode of communication between the physician
and the patient is noticed. The service user was unaware of the cause of her skin problem
because the care provider did not give her any verification to satisfy that she was sick
(Heineken and Toivonen, 2008). Due to lack of proper communication between both the
individuals the patient was left unsatisfied.
1.4 use of strategies to support users of health and social care
Two of the significant factors that are considered very important within interactive channels
are culture and values. It includes factors within it that are associated with demographics such
as age, race, and gender, educational and economic conditions. Culture states about
incorporated basic behaviour that a person follows in general sense such as values,
viewpoints, attitude and interactions, etc. Values and culture have huge significance in health
and social care as they occur mainly in every group and are generally included in interaction
procedures and cultural identity is of crucial significance (Bryan, 2009). One of the factors in
it is that everyone is influenced with cultural programming that makes it crucial to understand
about culture and the ways in which they can be accomplished in a better form.
Moreover, it has been found in the case study that a patient with severe dental arrived in the
clinic and receptionist answered to his queries at a high pitch and conveyed him to register
his problem in computer. But the patient find difficulty as was not able to understood English
language and was having difficulty in handling computers and was not able to convey the
exact message to receptionist. Here, in problem mainly raised due to difference in culture and
values among the patient and receptionist. Proper training and communication skills should
have been provided to the receptionist before appointing her on the particular position. The
receptionist should have been directed by the hospital staff to communicate in a low pitch

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with all the patients so that service users do not feel uneasy to explain and convey their
problems on telephone (Stewart and MacIntyre, 2013).
The most important aspect of values and cultural development that impacts on
communication is gender because people are generally with their typical qualities which can
either be noticed while interacting with them. Healthcare service providers need to be
conscious about such differences and must be sensitive in nature to handle patient’s issue.
Technique that needs to be considered over here is to get to know the differentiating factor
that makes individual an active listener in more professional manner and communication
must be done in a different approach so that patient can feel comfortable within the
environment.
Moreover, pattern of communication also differs according to nationality and culture in
which some use verbal and other uses nonverbal communications techniques. It must be
clearly understood that every individual belong to a diverse culture and mode of interaction
also differs accordingly hence, communication must be done in a manner so that there is no
misinterpretation and confusion in transmission of message (Heinonen and Toivonen, 2008).
In health and social care one of the most significant factors is the legislation and charters that
impact on techniques of communication that facilitates in the stipulation of equality. The
present laws and policies which monitor the healthcare practices are generally formed on the
basis of principles on equality (Moss, 2012.). This legislation provide in fair employment,
race relations, discrimination acts and other laws that depicts about professional practice.
Such rules and lawful regulations act as a foundation stone in determining the behaviour of
service providers and communicate their message prominently. The serious issues of going
against the legislation will be a critical factor for the management. In the given case patient
can easily files a legal case as the situation depicts that due to loss of trust from the service
provider, different confidential information are leaked about the patient when the receptionist
spoke at a higher voice (Effective communication, 2011). There are various laws made to
deliver impartiality and anti-discrimination policies at workplace and helps in shaping the
communication practices in health care organizations.
Healthcare organizations are required to come up with adequate policies or systems that helps
in to foster good communication and it incorporates numerous factors that are associated with
documentation, information systems, establishment of process and practices (Health and

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Social Care Act, 2001). Here, in the given scenario the corporation by developing vibrant and
advanced knowledge system effectiveness in different activities can be accomplished. Stated
are the some of the policies that need to be developed within the present corporation;
Whistle blowing policy – It states about blow the whistle for anything doing wrong
and it provides a clear guideline to workforce so that procedure can be corrected and
it can impact on reputation of organization (Hurtley and et. al., 2012). This policy
focuses on commitment and openness to effective communication.
Bullying in the workplace – It states the every employee has the right to get employed
in such an atmosphere which is at without any kind of nuisance and management must
allow its employees to love their work and fulfill expectations by creating a
sustainable organizational culture (Mitchell and Boak, 2009).
Safety from accidents – It is the responsibility of management to provide a safe
working environment that complies with all statutory practices and codes of practice.
Employers need to notify certain categories of accidents with specified dangerous
occurrence for the health and safety of employees.
“Health and social care employees should be eternally involved within enhancement and
growth of interaction procedures so as to become the best fit for their companies and
professions. Another way to improve the overall provisions of information to maintain
confidentiality and privacy can be attained to avoid misunderstanding. Moreover, entire
information sharing process can be enhanced by using different and sustainable rules that are
set in relation to the documentation so as to improvise and maximize the attainment of
results” (Robb, 2004)
“The overall technical and interactive attributes can be improved by using different processes
and provide access to interaction to every individual whenever they face any difficulty. They
should also be made aware of different constraints in interaction and strategies should be
developed accordingly. Other than this, there are different values and principles that are
related to communication aspects and educating employees within the organization about the
same will help in enhancing their wisdom and knowledge. By learning this process,
healthcare workers can improvise upon their communiqué and also gain a clear understanding
of the ways to maintain that with other employees.

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Different activities and actions within this service sector are very difficult to be carried out if
the technology is not available in proper manner.” It includes techniques like spreadsheets,
word processing, intranet, internet, email and presentations. These IT methods help in to have
a critical importance in the accomplishment of daily activities within the workplace.
Word processing application helps in creation, editing and amendment of numerous
documents that could have been proved otherwise a lengthy work. On the contrary,
spreadsheets help in accomplishing mathematical computations by using different formulas
that further helps in making presentations and prepare visual report to communicate in a
better form. “Intranet and internet helps in undertaking the connectivity process among
network users within the company and framing emails assists in interchange of information
and ideas amongst one another and document the process at workplace.”(Gilson, 2006)
3.1 Use of standard ICT software packages to support work in health and social care
One of the most significant usages of application of ICT in Healthcare Corporation is tale
care that helps in undertaking business to consumer service with personal interaction and can
be easily completed on computers and telephones. It integrates attributes of automated
services that gives reminders and monitoring services with increased interaction between
users and service providers.
The major benefit from information technologies within healthcare set-up is the accuracy of
records and through this different applications of IT can be readily available that states about
condition of client and it is convenient for employees to resolve queries of employees.
Through this health care professionals can conveniently enjoy the benefits that helps in
building a safe, modern and swift IT system to undertake routine activities (Collins, 2009).
There are many other benefits of these elements in healthcare sector because they help in
fulfilling the requirements of each and every person by regularly monitoring their treatments
and making all the administrative practices even more efficient. Keeping records and
documentation will again help in attaining improvements in communiqué and also their
independence. Information and technology again offers an association amongst their users
leading to providing them more of efficiency in service delivery.
In this regard, I possess the following ICT skills;
 I have a basic knowledge about concepts, termilbolgy and functns related to
computers.

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 I further possess internet skills related to World Wide Web, site navigation,
searching, and installing and upgrading a Web browser
 I am able to effectively communicate with others.
 I can access the needed information from softwares. I am also able to carry out administrative activities so as to support work in health
and social care.
Different software packages used in hospital
Standard traditional and digital software packages can be installed in computer for
maintaining and recording hospital data safely. Databases software such as MS-Word,
Oracle, SQL server and power point presentation are some of the computer programming’s
that can help in storing patient records and other information in computer (Bryan, 2009).
Information technology states about ways of improving several activities using which
healthcare service providers can easily accomplish their set target. With the implementation
of IT in this sector organizations have attained increased efficiency, as numerous tools helps
in to frame better practices and services have seen a dramatic enhancement as it has become
quite simpler to get access of different records but this has again been limited by the
legislations that exists so as to protect and promote confidentiality.
The use of IT has maximized health care Corporation’s profitability but certain legislations
both internal and external also rely “to administer ICT practices within healthcare units.” The
information safety norms also bring restrictions and limitation over the use of personal
information as well as disclosure of any data is equivalent to the breach of confidentiality.
Moreover, the legislative policy that is assumed to be an important factor in the use of IT is
the accessibility of personal files act 1987 that stipulates any general considerations for
different information and all these data are related to social services (Anderson and Aydin,
2005).
Other than these legislative policies that give accessibility to look the medical reports for
employment motive is Medical Report Act of 1988 so as to ensure the overall purpose.
Finally, one of the significant factor in legislative polices is the Accessibility to Health
Records Act 1990 that gives attention on management of patients records. It provides client
any other known person the right to use medical records in a manual or electronic form.

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However, “in order to protect data from any kind of harm, companies need to use different
storage devices so that any information could not be leaked or used without the consent of
parties concerned.” (Ezzaine and et. al., 2012).
3.3 How legal considerations in the use of ICT impact on health and social care
The administrative department mainly deals with charges of patient, health care cost, details
about next transactions and outstanding costs. Different health care corporations have been
benefitted immensely with IT systems that they can access anytime and status about a client
is displayed systematically. Medical practitioners can observe patients details on their
computer as well as the past history within seconds. All these records help in doctors to
manage their database and provide adequate treatment in a swift manner. In 1998 the
legislation of UK enacted the Data protection act which included only identifiable officials
and personnel can access the necessary information store in computer. Computer misuse act
1990 was also implemented by UK government so that the information and data stored in
computer is not breached and hacked by hackers at any cost (Gilson, 2006).
Conclusion
“By undertaking the above report it can be concluded that information and technology always
comes up with ranges of benefits within health and social care setup that helps in
accomplishing needs, making the administrative practice prominent, exact documentation and
enhance the communication practice in a dynamic form. Further it can be stated that with
more meaningful interactive practices, there will always remain a need to be comprehend the
dissimilarities that relies within values and cultural aspects of an individual as it will help in
developing strong relationship. There has also been witnessed a regular improvement in
communication processes through assessment of the ways and their identify ways through
which communication can be improved.”

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