Exploring Communication in Health and Social Care Organizations

This report examines communication within health and social care organizations, emphasizing the importance of effective communication skills for healthcare professionals. It explores various communication theories such as operant conditioning, behaviorist, and social learning theories, and their application in healthcare settings. The report discusses the significance of interpersonal communication, active listening, and understanding cultural differences to avoid miscommunication and build trust with patients. It also highlights the impact of legislation like the Data Protection Act on handling patient information and the ethical considerations of maintaining confidentiality. Furthermore, the document evaluates the advantages and limitations of using information communication technology (ICT) in healthcare, focusing on how it can enhance communication and improve service delivery. The report concludes by underscoring the need for continuous training and development of communication skills among healthcare workers to provide quality care and promote positive patient experiences. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

Communicating in Health and
Social Care Organizations
Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................2
LEARNING OUTCOME 1...............................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.1...................................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.2...................................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.3...................................................................................................................................................4
TASK 1.4...................................................................................................................................................5
LEARNING OUTCOME 2...........................................................................................................................6
TASK 2.1...................................................................................................................................................6
TASK 2.2...................................................................................................................................................6
TASK 2.3...................................................................................................................................................7
TASK 2.4...................................................................................................................................................8
LEARNING OUTCOME 3...............................................................................................................................8
TASK 3.1...................................................................................................................................................8
TASK 3.2...................................................................................................................................................9
TASK 3.3.................................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
In health and social care proper communication is a skill which is essential for the health professionals
while dealing with different kinds of people. Communication is a process of mutual understanding and is
a two-way process. In this essay communication in health and social care sector has been discussed. It
connects different people. Several theories of communication skills are discussed in this assignment.
Different ways of interpersonal communication have been identified. Different measures regarding
supporting the customers and how cultural factor affects the communication process has been
described. Important policies, codes of practice and legislations which required for communication in
health and social care settings have been given. Advantages and limitations of information
communication technology (ICT) have been evaluated.
Communication Process: Shannon – Weaver’s Model
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LEARNING OUTCOME 1
TASK 1.1
Communication involves active listening and understanding what others say. There are various theories
of communication which are applied in health and social care. The theories of communication are
humanistic theory, operant conditioning theory, psychoanalytic theory, social learning theory, cognitive
theory and behaviorist theory. Operant conditioning theory was given by Skinner. The theory comprises
two reinforcements: NEGATIVE and POSITIVE. Negative is seen when the action is caused due to
withdrawal of anything unpleasant whereas, positive reinforcement is seen when the behavior is felt as
desirable. In the given case, the reinforcement observed is negative, which makes Mrs. Jones previous
experience of the hospital was unpleasant and she was not satisfied with services offered to her. If the
nurses were friendly with her, then Mrs. Jones would have been relaxed. She wasn’t given proper
medicines, meals and even wasn’t assisted in taking a bath. Behaviorist theory states that behavior is
acquired through conditioning. Our behavior gets influenced by the environmental stimuli. In this
theory, learning is a product of stimulus condition(S) and responses(R) (Stretch B., 2007). In the given
study, behaviorist theory is relevant as the impact of the negative attitude of the nurse was not
favorable for Mrs. Jones. The nurses must be instructed to be polite and must be trained to follow their
duties properly. Social learning theory states that, behavior is gained by observing others behavior. The
relation of nurse and Mrs. Jones could have been improved by using this theory. The nurse should have
treated Mrs. Jones with proper care and could have created trust regarding the hospital in Mrs. Jones
and others. The nurse taking care of Mrs. Jones could have learnt to communicate politely with the
patients and other service users, from already trained nurses.
TASK 1.2
Communication involves two processes which are, receiving and sending of information between
recipient and sender. It is a way of interacting with people and forming healthy relations with them.
Main components of communication include communicators, messages, noise, channel, feedback. While
transferring of messages through channels, the skills required for communication are reflecting,
questioning, summarizing, paraphrasing, listening, consultation, mentoring and explanation. Having
appropriate listening skills is also very necessary in health and social care. It includes listening to what
other persons have to say. Active listening can be explained as thinking and giving response to the words
of other people. This didn’t happen with Joanna as mentioned in the given case scenario. The doctor and
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nurse were not co-operative with Joanna and nobody in the hospital was able to speak Vietnamese. So,
this could have been the reason of miscommunication between the hospital staff and Joanna. This made
the situation for Joanna more stressful. At my work place, proper listening and communication skills
assist me to communicate with the service users. This is helpful for me in getting an idea of other
problems and gives me information about the condition which is useful for me to provide good care to
the customers. There are less errors and working time is reduced if proper use of communication skills is
done. The doctor and nurse were not able to understand Joanna’s language. Their behavior was unfit
and amateur. The questions which doctor asked did not make her comfortable. The questions asked by
the doctor must be open and clear, so that the patients are comfortable to express their feelings. The
nurse could have been polite to Joanna and could have assisted her in filling of the form. Better listening
skills helps the service users, the nurses or health care workers in health and social care settings to
deliver good quality care (Beresford et al, 2008). A healthy communication must be present among the
health care professionals and the customers. My attitude and appearance reflect my personality at the
work place and gives information about my attitude to my colleagues or the customers. My body
language as well as of the patient is also very important. Recording the blood pressure and heart rate of
the patient very systematically is my duty. The data must be easily readable and appropriate. The tone
of my voice gets higher at times while interacting to the patient. Therefore, my efforts are to be polite to
be everyone and be careful at the time of speaking anything. The higher tone of mine can make the
patient uneasy and the judgement can become wrong. All the information of the patient must be kept
confidential.
TASK 1.3
Interpersonal communication is when people of different work fields come together to bring their ideas
together welfare individuals. It helps the health professionals to handle different tasks and in interacting
with other people. This comprises of non-verbal along with verbal communication and good listening
skills. The communication theory which is suitable for the given case scenario is social exchange theory.
It is related to the idea of increasing pleasure and reducing the pain. Mutual influence is involved here. It
happens when we all consider each other as unique human beings (Bourgeault et al, 2010). The social
exchange theory suits the given case of Joanna because the staff of the hospital should have made
Joanna comfortable by saying something positive. Another best suitable theory applicable in this case
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study is uncertainty reduction theory. It involves three stages which are active, passive and interactive
strategies. Interpersonal relationships are build when people realize feelings of other people. The nurse
along with the doctor could have applied this theory to realize Joanna’s condition. The doctor used his
position’s power negatively to make Joanna uncomfortable, stressed out and lowered her self-
confidence. She felt separated from other people as the language used by Joanna was Vietnamese.
There was no one who was able to make her relaxed and understand her. The hospital must give
training to their staff members and promote equality. The doctor and other health workers must have
interest in learning different cultures and how to respect them (Weitz R., 2009). The behavior of the
receptionist, doctor and nurse was negative, and this created a bad impact on Joanna about the
hospital.
Similarly, as shown in the YouTube video, the elderly patient wasn’t treated properly and wasn’t given
proper care by the health care workers. The nurses avoided him and didn’t treat the patient well. None
of the nurses assisted the elderly patient till the toilet and he was made to lie down in his own feces for
hours. Proper training for taking care of the elderly patients must be given to the health care workers.
TASK 1.4
It is necessary in health and social care settings to have better communication skills. This is important so
that the requirements of the patient can be fulfilled. A healthcare worker must learn and apply different
methods for interacting with the customers. It is essential to be sensible and understanding to overcome
the barriers in communication in health and social care (Burks et al, 2012). Certain specific
communication methods can be favorable for patients with some disability like sign language, verbal
method, various expressions, choice of location for proper communication, non-verbal method, lip
reading. Usage of glasses can be done by people with visual problems. Technological aids like visual
images can be used. Patients with hearing problem use sign language as helping aid to communicate
with others. There is involvement of body, facial expression and use of hands. Several times language
difference is an issue. This can be handled by hiring a translator or using signs or pictures. In the given
case, if an interpreter was present in the hospital then this condition would not have been created. He
could have assisted doctor and the nurse to realize what Joanna was trying to say. Through this Joanna
could have felt relaxed and comfortable. Using slang or dialects must be avoided by the health workers
and not make any assumptions. The doctor and the nurse could have avoided discrimination and could
have understood that Joanna belonged to a different culture. The health care workers must find ways to
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communicate with others and which are suitable for various circumstances (Cournoyer et al, 2013).
Sometimes financial problems may occur. Lack of funding can be the reason behind not hiring a
translator and lack of resources. This affects the services and its standard being provided by the hospital.
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
TASK 2.1
Customs and beliefs, social behavior and ideas of a society comprise culture. These are carried from
generations to generation via parents, teachers, respected elders, leaders and religious leaders of the
community. Respect should be given to various cultures, its background and beliefs by the healthcare
workers (Silverman et al, 2008). The reaction of people towards discrimination comes in the form of
anger. In the given case scenario, the nurse was not able to get Joanna’s culture and language. The
result of this was loss of faith of Joanna for the hospital staff and the hospital administration. Everything
should be discussed very politely with a smile on face. This is important to make the patient comfortable
and faithful towards the hospital (Gambrill E., 2012). The voice tone control is very necessary. Body
language, attitude and control over voice tone of the health professionals including the nurse and doctor
is essential. Interaction with the patients becomes easier if proper use of communication skills is done.
Healthcare workers must have the knowledge about the ways of communicating with people of
different culture like non-verbal and verbal methods. Services provided must not be against any beliefs
of different culture. Giving value to diversity is an important part in health care sector as it is helpful to
open with different people. It enhances the way of living (Ife J, 2012). The administration of the hospital
could have hired a translator based on the thinking of different cultures. This could have removed the
communication gap between Joanna and the staff members.
TASK 2.2
Legislation are the law which are set up by the government which regulates and improves the life of
people. For example: The Data Protection Act 1998 gives rules on how the government, agencies or
business can use the information of the customers. The laws regarding the confidentiality of data are
important. Health professionals must strictly apply the data protection guidelines while using the data of
the customers. Confidential law states that patient’s information recorded audio-visually, on computers
or paper should not be disclosed. A health care worker must be aware about the guidelines about
keeping the data confidential and must keep the patients informed about the process (Gitterman et al,
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2013)). In the given case, Joanna was not assisted by the nurse in filling of the form. It was the
responsibility of the doctor or nurse to make the customers aware about the information being used by
the health care organization and the government. Healthcare professionals should follow the framework
of the data protection act. If the family members want the information about Joanna, they won’t be
allowed to access the information without the permission of Joanna. The health care professionals must
respect Joanna’s confidentiality. Poor knowledge of the laws and legislations can lead to the
discrimination while providing services to the customers. This form bad image of the hospital. The
health care organization must have the knowledge about the policies, laws, legislations, rules that are
related to the delivery of the services (Howe D., 2009). It is the healthcare professional’s responsibility
to follow the guidelines and perform safe practices and measures to encourage the dignity of the
hospital.
TASK 2.3
Healthcare agencies should follow the guidelines established by the government. These organizations
should be consistent in their work of establishing the policies. The organization must keep a check over
the staff members that they are following the code of practices and policies. The administrative
department of the hospital must keep patient’s information confidential and take care of the interests of
the patient (Healy K., 2014). All the healthcare workers must keep the patients interest and information
protected. This can be regulated by proper monitoring, training of the staff members and spot checking.
The health care organizations must appraise and reward their staff workers for following the policies
and code of practices. Appropriate measures must be enforced to acquire the information at time. A
feedback department or a complaint box must be present in the premises of the hospital to overcome
the communication barrier present between the health care organization and the customers. This
strategy helps in overcoming the drawbacks of the hospital. The health care organization must ensure
that the information can be acquired only on legal permission (Greenhalgh T., 2008). As given in the case
scenario, the nurse and the doctor weren’t aware about Joanna’s problem and had no information
about her. This created communication problem between them. The health care organization lacked a
proper system of governance and the management was poor. This became clear when the doctor
became impatient and unprofessional and started shouting at Joanna. His body language was also not
convincing and helpful. If doctor would have used communication skills like non-verbal or verbal
methods, then Joanna would have felt that she has been taken care of properly. The nurse also didn’t
show interest in solving Joanna’s problem (Edwards M., 2010). Similarly, as given in the YouTube video,
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the care takers have behaved in an unprofessional manner. The importance is not given to the condition
of the old patient and no efforts were made to make a health relation with the patient.
TASK 2.4
In health care settings there are various ways for the management to interact with the customers like
non-verbal and verbal. Aids which are used for communication are sign language, pictures, symbols and
different technologies. Training and development workshops must be organized for improving the
communicating skills of the employees (Hepworth et al, 2010). An adequate verbal along with non-
verbal communication should be used efficiently by the health care employees. Awareness regarding
different cultures and languages must be present in health care workers. Listening skills must be good
and quick actions must be taken against patient’s problem. Knowledge for maintaining the
confidentiality of the patient’s information must be present among the employees. It may be harmful
for the patient, if his/her information is being leaked out. Sharing of information must be done at proper
place (Krauss et al, 2014). In the case study, nurse and doctor didn’t co-operate with Joanna and abused
Joanna before everyone. This made Joanna depressed and het trust in doctor was lost. In the YouTube
video, the care taker dishonored the patient and didn’t assist him in a proper manner. His bathing time
was not adjusted properly. The elderly patient was not aided while going to the washroom. No efforts
were made to hear the problem of the old patient. The health care employees who are assigned the
duty to take care of the elderly people must be trained about communicating skills and their duty
towards the elderly patients (Miles et al, 2011). The responsibility of the health care professionals is to
take care of the health of the patient.
LEARNING OUTCOME 3
TASK 3.1
There are several ICT software packages which are used in health and social care settings like power
point, spreadsheet, monitor, analyzing databases, word processor, etc. Use of various software has been
found beneficial with the progression of the areas of IT (information technology) and health and social
care settings (Reeves et al, 2011). The employees of the health care organization must know about
computer technology. With the further progression, the health care employees must be trained about
data protection law and must learn different technologies (Thompson et al, 2011). Previously, the data
of the patient was registered on papers. This consumed a lot of time. The searching of records was
difficult for the health care professionals. With the use of computer technology, it has been easier to
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access patient’s information and even sharing of data between different organizations has become
easier. Development of internet has been helpful and useful for the health care organizations (Parrott et
al, 2008). At my field of work, usage of computer technology has decreased the use of paper. This has
increased the efficiency of the working system. Daily records can be recorded, and delivery of care has
been improved.
TASK 3.2
ICT is advantageous in several manners for health care organizations. It is fast, reliable and efficient. It
increases the efficiency of working system and standard of quality care is increased. ICT helps to give
individualized care to the patients in need. With this the communication is improved and relationships
become stronger. The management of administration gets improved. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a
technology in which medical history is recorded and comprises of all the information related to patient’s
treatment (CMS, 2014). The errors are reduced. Records are maintained due to its accuracy. Patient’s
history, diagnostic tests and digital images can be stored properly by using ICT. The information is easily
accessible with the use of computers in daily medical practice. But it has some disadvantages too like
computer crash may occur and data can get deleted from the device. Cyber theft is another problem
which can occur if someone else acquires access to the hospital’s confidential data. It can be destructive
for the hospital if rules are not followed. A back up of the information and data must be present to
overcome the problem of computer crash. Prescriptions can be given in the printed form to the patients
(Reamer et al, 2013). Even vitals of the patient like pulse, breathing, respiration rate and heart rate can
be recorded and regulated with the use of computer technology. The instrument used in ICT are
expensive. Definite skills are required to make it functional and successful. Several hospitals have
initiated the use of digital imaging technology instead of X-ray films (Sarangi S., 2010). Ambulances are
well developed with laptops and electronic system for recording and monitoring the health condition of
the patients. Electronic speech aids have been found useful for the patients with head and neck cancer.
Diabetes can be easily recorded through digital devices.
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USES OF ICT
TASK 3.3
Several legislations and rules for using ICT are present in social and health care. There are various uses
of ICT. An individual’s health gets affected by using ICT like development of poor posture, back pain,
painful upper limbs, stressful eyes and different health conditions can be caused. The health care
employees must get assured legally according to the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974. The
responsibility of the health care employees is to do healthy practice at the workplace and actively act
against anything illegal happening at the workplace (Speziale et al, 2011). Patients data and records of
the organization must be kept secured and following of principles of Data Protection Act 1998 must be
done. The databases must be secured with password. Computer Misuse Act 1990 aims to reduce misuse
of computer technology and internet. Hacking also comes under this act. Individuals who access the
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IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.kullabs.com/img/note_images/YdFATugDrLTcGXvs.jpg

confidential data without legal permission should give the penalties, fines, etc. Quality and standard of
services is increased with the use of ICT. Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 aims to protect
health of the people (Zarconi et al, 2008). In the given scenario, lack of communication skills, poor
technology, less resources caused loss of faith in health care professionals, dissatisfaction and in
treatment being provided. With the use of different methods for interacting, barriers of communication
can be overcome. Legislations and rules given by the government can protect the rights of the people.
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is helpful in health and social care sector and the
effectiveness of delivery of standard quality services to the service users is increased (Hughes et al,
2008).
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CONCLUSION
This assignment shows how essential communication and several methods are for health and social care
settings personal experiences and given case scenarios. Different theories of communication have been
described in this essay, which can be applied in meeting the health requirements of the patient.
Information communication technology (ICT) has been booming now-a-days and its importance has
been discussed here along with its advantages and limitations. Measures to reduce the barriers of
communication are described here. The efficiency of the health care organization is increased. The
standard of quality care is raised.
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