Importance of Communication in Healthcare Management Report

This report delves into the critical role of communication within the healthcare management sector. It begins by exploring various communication theories and skills, such as behaviorist and social theories, along with the Shannon-Weaver model, and their application in health and social care settings. The report examines interpersonal communication dynamics, emphasizing the impact of effective listening, questioning, and non-verbal cues. It also analyzes the importance of cultural sensitivity and the use of strategies to overcome communication barriers. Furthermore, the report discusses the influence of legislation, codes of practice, and organizational policies on the communication process. It explores the use and benefits of ICT software, as well as legal considerations. The case study of Joanna H. is used to illustrate the practical implications of these concepts, highlighting the importance of clear, respectful communication between healthcare providers and patients. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for continuous improvement in communication processes to enhance patient care and satisfaction. This assignment provides valuable insights into the complexities of communication within healthcare environments.

Running head: Importance of Communication 1
Health Care Management Communication

Importance of Communication 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Theories of communication...................................................................................................4
1.2 Use of communication skills..................................................................................................5
1.3 Interpersonal communication between individuals................................................................6
1.4 Use of strategies approaches..................................................................................................7
2.1 communication process..........................................................................................................8
2.2 legislation, codes of practices and charters............................................................................9
2.3 effectiveness of organizational systems and policies...........................................................10
2.4 improving the communication process................................................................................11
Task 2.............................................................................................................................................12
3.1 use and access of ICT software............................................................................................12
3.2 benefits of ICT.....................................................................................................................14
3.3 legal considerations in the use of ICT..................................................................................15
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
References......................................................................................................................................18

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Introduction
The role of communication is vital in health and social care and effective communication permits
improving interpersonal relationships. The workers of health and care services should develop
the proper communication skills with service users (Sinuff et. al., 2015). This assignment is
focused on the communication which involves the double process. The theories and
communication skills in health and social care will be mentioned in this assignment.
Inappropriate interpersonal communication increases the conflicts between individuals in health
and social care. The strategies will be used to support service user and define how the
communication process in impacted by values and cultural factors. It will be reflected in the
assignment that how communication process get influenced by legislation in health and social
care and analyze the effectiveness of the organizational system policies in developing the good
practices in communication. The way will be suggested in this report to improve the process of
communication and discussion will be made on ICT software packages. There are various
benefits of ICT software which increase the productivity of the employee.

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Task 1
1.1 Communication theories
There are number of theories of communication which can be used to reduce the impact of
unnecessary conflicts. These theories can be behaviourist theory, humanistic, psychoanalytical,
cognitive theory and social learning theory. Behaviourist theory can be applied in the case of
Joanna because this theory is a process whereby entire learning is dependent on the ideas where
the behaviour of someone is acquired by conditioning. It can be seen that the response to the
environmental are the major cause of behaviour or response. In term to case study of Joanna H,
this theory can be applied because Joanna got the negative response from the nurse as well as
doctor while appointments which make her feel bad and insecure. It has been analyzed that this
theory has two reinforcement such as positive and negative. Positive occurs when the result
pursue a certain behaviour is experienced as want. On the other hand negative reinforcement
occurs when a behaviour of someone being the cause of something unpleasant. In the context of
case study, negative reinforcement occurs because Joanna felt bad experience at health and social
care.
Social theory can be applied in this case because it facilitates to develop the bonding between
Joanna, nurse and doctor. The nurse should have be a good role model because the behaviour of
nurse can impact the image of the hospital. It has been analyzed that she has realized that the
staff of the hospital should be more adequate while communicating with new patients. This
theory can be helpful to improve the communication gap between the doctor and patient because
it teaches that how to behave with needy person and how to respond on their needs (Healy, K.,
2014).

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Furthermore, Shannon Weavers’s model of communication process defines the way of message
deformed by noise. It has been assumed in the scenario of hospital that the level of noise from
the accident and emergency section might impact the verbal as well as non-verbal
communication of the doctors. The model of Shannon defines that due to noise thee relevant
information cannot be reached to the listener in correct form which may develop the issues.
Figure 1: Shannon Weavers’s model of communication process
Source: MediaStudent, 2016, Shannon & Weaver’s Theory Of Communication, Accessed on 25th
March, 2018, from: https://themediastudentsblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/shannonweavers-
theory-of-communication/.
1.2Use of communication skills
Communication is considered as the two ways process between sender and recipient and it
permits people to get interacted with other people and make relationship with them. The
communication skills included are questioning, explanation, paraphrasing, resulting, consulting
and summarizing. It has been evaluated that good listening skills included hearing what the
response come from other person. In the term of case study of Joanna, the doctor was unable to
understand the gesture and posture of the services user which pushed her into pressure. The

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contribution of good listening is huge at my work place which helps me to understand what the
service user is trying to saying and provide me information so that I can pursue myself in better
manner. It is able to diminish the stress and time. The behaviour of doctor was not appropriate
and professional towards Joanna. Open questions are allowed to patient to express their feelings
and opinion. It has been evaluated that the behaviour of the nurse should have been polite and
helps Joanna to fill the form. Good doctor interpersonal communication at my workplace
facilitates to understand the way of care in better way. I always make an organizational chart to
monitor the blood pressure and heart rate which can be read by anyone clearly and accurately. I
have observed that the pitch of my voice is gone high while communicating with patient so I
endeavour to slow my voice because high voice can be the cause of communication barrier. Due
to my behaviour, my patients can misjudge me.

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1.3 Interpersonal communication between individuals
The communication of interpersonal is occurred when different professional meet with each
other for developing the ideas for the wellbeing of the individual. It helps them to deal with
different tasks and communicate with others. The interpersonal theory can be applied in this case
study which is social exchange theory which shows that the nurse and doctor of the hospital
should have provided pleasure but they had words with her negatively which bring pain to the
service user. Uncertainty reduction theory can be taken for this case study, this theory is
applicable when people has better understanding about other people it increase more
interpersonal relationships (Spitzer, Silverman and Allen,2015). The doctor and the nurse would
have used this theory to appreciate more about the situation of Joanna in depth details and
indicate using signs and body language. It has been evaluated from the YouTube video that the
elderly patient was not being observed and cared by the healthcare workers. It is necessary for
the healthcare workers to listen and care them. Interpersonal communication improves the
relations between doctor and nurse. Training should be given to the healthcare workers for
making better communication with staff as well as patients. In the term of Joanna H the doctor of
the hospital uses his power to make her feel low and behave with her inadequate manner. In such
case it is required for the hospital to address their policies and procedures so that professionalism
can maintain within the environment. The receptionist, nurse and the doctor have breached her
trust which develop bad image in the mind of Joanna.

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1.4 Use of strategies approaches
The requirement of communication’s method is required to accomplish the needs of the people.
The barriers of communication can be removed by understanding the need of others especially
for those with disabilities utilized certain way of communication like slang expression, non
verbal communication and lip reading. The latest technology can be used within the organization
such as expansion of visual images. There are number of people who are facing hearing issues in
such case signed language can be used to understand them (Pearlson, Saunders and Galletta,
2016). It would be the best way to interact with people to interpret a language instead of saying it
out. In the term of Joanna, there could have been a better translator which could help to
understand the language of Joanna and make her comfortable in her own way. It is vital for the
doctors and the nurses to get more polite while communicating with patients. There is various
social setting and they should have to be sensitive regarding this.

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2.1 communication process
Cultural is made up of social behaviour, customs and ideas of the society. It is built and impacted
through transmitted of human from generations by teachers, friends, parents and leaders in the
community. As a health care worker it is essential to give priority and respect to the background,
culture and beliefs of others (Betancourt, Green, Carrillo and Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, 2016).
In relation to the case study it has been analyzed that Joanna’s culture and background are being
avoided by the nurse and she dishonoured the trust of Joanna had in her. Joanna is belonged to
Vietnam where people are polite and greet each other by joining hands. She comes from different
culture and it is very important for the nurse as well as doctor to understand the culture of her
and support her to fulfil the formalities of hospital. It has been analyzed that Joanna could be
more comfortable if doctor use polite language and try to understand her issue (Borkowski,
2015). People can come from different culture at hospital and it is integral for the nurse and the
doctor to give respect their culture and make her feel that he or she would get better treatment
from here. The doctor could have used the interpreter to understand the language of Joanna
which could make her feel comfortable while describing her concerns regarding health.

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2.2 legislation, codes of practices and charters
The set of laws are considered as the legislation that is made by government, it governs that how
policies and procedures can improve the lives of people. Data protection act 1988 is having
control on shared information about the organization, departments and employees. The personal
information about the employees and patients should not be exposed to the other person. It has
been stated by confidentiality law that the relevant information, paper and audio recorded should
not be shared to anyone. In the case of Joanna the nurse would have provided her proper
guidance about the way of filing the form. It is the responsibility of the nurse or doctor to
provide service users the right to know about the information which is stored by government or
other organization. The organization need to follow the principles of data protection act. For
instance if Joanna’s husband come to the hospital for getting information about her, in such case
the staff of the hospital have to be seek Joanna consent first before getting any information to
him. The confidentiality of her should be respected.
Lack of understanding about the laws and the policies and procedures of the organization may
bring the bad influence in the mind of the patients (Hafner, 2014). The proper knowledge about
codes of practice and laws will affect the services of the organization is being delivered to the
public. It is the duty of the healthcare workers to maintain the safety environment and co-operate
each other.

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2.3 effectiveness of organizational systems and policies
The systems must have included in the health and social care organization to make sure the
principles and requirements of governance which are constantly and appropriately applied to
encourage policies of communication. The governance system is able to prevent the interest of
patients and service users. The laws and services of the organization should be followed by the
healthcare professional and it can be done by training and monitoring. The importance should be
given to the information strategy to get the adequate information at the right time.
It has been analyzed with the case study of Joanna that the doctor, nurse and the receptionist
have not enough information about the patient which being the cause of communication barriers.
The confidential policy of the organization should make sure that information should only share
with appropriate people. It can be seen that the importance of governance is not effective and the
way of taking of doctor and nurse was not appropriate towards patients (Wager, Lee and Glaser,
2017). The doctor should have talked in polite manner with Joanna and use suitable verbal and
non verbal communication. The nurse should have helped to Joanna to fill the form. Language
difficulties can be removed by adapting the interpreter. The record management system should
be effective within the organization because it impacts the tendency of again getting services
from the same organization.

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2.4 improving the communication process
There are number of ways are available to get better the process of communication in health and
social care. Training and workshop are the major contributor in providing the guidance that how
to communicate with patients with different situations. Effective non verbal communication
should be there while communicating with patients. Confidentiality of the organization as well as
the information of service user should not be revealed out because when the information is being
used in wrong manner it may lead the service user in danger situation. In the term of Joanna’s
case it has not been found the relationship between doctor and patient because when she met
with him, the behaviour of doctor was impatient and he threw his arm in the air and said
inappropriate words which put Joanna in lacking of self esteem. The communication process can
be improved within an organization by implementing the translator or interpreter within the
organization for understanding the language of those people who belong from different cultures
(Sargent, 2015). Along with that the organization can employed those people who are bilingual
and provide the leaflet on different kind of languages. Cultural awareness should be increased
within the organization so that the staffs get the knowledge about how to treat those people who
are from another country or region. Information should be taken from patient in an adequate
manner by keeping the dignity of their background (Gallois and Giles, 2015).