COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN PRACTICE

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN PRACTICE
BY
ADEBUKOLA OMOBOLANLE ALLAIN

INTRODUCTION
Communication is the act of conveying meanings from one entity or group to another
through the use of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic rules. (Harper
2013). Communication in a healthcare setting is one of the most important tools we
have for providing great patient care and improving patient satisfaction. However, lines
of communication can frequently be crossed and lead to lower patient satisfaction
scores, illnesses or worse. According to information shared in a recent article from
Becker's Hospital Review: "...more than a quarter of hospital readmissions could be
avoided with better communication among healthcare teams and between providers
and patients." Every patient who comes to a hospital has a team of people involved in
providing care throughout their healing process: from doctors and nurses to
housekeeping and culinary teams, and even their family and loved ones. With so many
parties involved, it's understandable that missteps in communication could occur. At
HHS, we take communication and patient care seriously and train our team members to
break down these communication barriers to provide excellent patient care.
Strong and effective communication is important in the healthcare sector. A doctor,
nurse or clinician may excel at their work, but if the communication is not clear and
effective, it is of no use. Building positive relationships between healthcare
representatives and patients is extremely important to the success of the organization.
Effective communication can enhance the patient experience, reduce complaints, and
Increase nurses’ self-confidence, professional standing, career prospects and job
satisfaction and reduce stress. Jones (2010) suggests that patients are less likely to
remember technological interventions than the communication and human interaction
from health professionals and judge the quality of their care by these markers. They
have more confidence in health professionals who communicate effectively, which in
turn makes it more likely that treatment regimens are followed or advice taken.
COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES & QUALITY OF CARE
Communication challenges are associated with under-use of primary and preventive
services, limited comprehension of medical information, lack of adherence to medical
advice, and less cost-effective use of medical services, including a greater need for
tests and longer medical visits (Weiss et al. 2006). In Canada, the discussion
concerning access to health services in a person’s first language, particularly where that

language is an Official Language of the state, tends to be framed as a “rights” issue.
However, while there are rights aspects to the discussion, from a health care
perspective the fundamental issue is patient safety and risk: there are inherent risks
associated with the failure to address language barriers encountered during the
provision of health care services. Internationally, there is a growing body of literature
documenting the impact of communication challenges on access, use and quality of
medical services. The effects of communication challenges on health care delivery have
been considered in other countries. According to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academies (U.S.), communication challenges contribute to reduced quality,
adverse health outcomes, and health disparities. Furthermore, there is evidence that
communication challenges may result in increased use of expensive diagnostic tests,
increased use of emergency services and decreased use of primary care services, and
poor or no patient follow-up when such follow-up is indicated (Greising, 2006).
COMMUNICATION SKILL IN HEALTH CARE PRACTICE
Communication skills are a vital part of the clinical practice. They help you to exchange
information with your patients, improving the patient experience as well as their levels of
satisfaction with you and with the service they receive. Communication between health
care providers and patients affects patient outcomes. Safe practice depends on
effective communication. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) links
communication knowledge, attitudes and skills to improved patient outcomes and
quality of care.( Cronenwett et. at. 2007). Communication skills enable effective
interactions between nurses and patients, and nurses and other healthcare workers.
(Sully et. al. 2005). Improving communication among health care providers has been
identified as part of the 2015 National Safety Goals.
IMPACT OF COMMUNICATION IN PATIENT
It is estimated t hat the cost of poor communication to the NHS is over £1bn per year,
and can lead to poor adherence to medication regimens, repeat visits to clinics,
disputes and ultimately litigation (McDonald, 2016). The 1993 Audit Commission report
on communication within the NHS is as good a place to start as any, not least because
it reflects some of the themes which brought the question to the fore.(Audit commission,
1995). The report is notable for three reasons. First, there is a strong sense that this is