LCPS/D/615/3824 - Exploring Communication in Health and Social Care

This report delves into the multifaceted aspects of communication within health and social care, focusing on ASC healthcare company as a case study. It describes various communication methods, including verbal, non-verbal, and alternative approaches, highlighting their importance in patient care and professional collaboration. The report also analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of formal and informal communication styles, emphasizing the principles of effective communication and strategies to overcome common barriers, such as psychological factors. Furthermore, it examines the use of technology in healthcare communication, weighing its advantages and disadvantages from both the service user's and provider's perspectives. Finally, the report addresses critical issues related to data protection and its impact on individuals and organizations within the health and social care sector.

Health and Social
Care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Q1. Describe methods used to communicate in Health and Social care.....................................1
Q2. List of all methods used for communication in health and social care environment............2
Q3. List of strengths and weaknesses of formal and informal communication methods............3
Q4. Produce brief sheet which outlines principles of effective communication.........................4
Q5. How can barriers to communicate be overcome? Selecting any one barrier and description
of ways it would be overcome?...................................................................................................5
Q6. What are communication methods found in health and social care environment?...............6
Q7. What are advantages as well as disadvantages of using technology in communication for
company in health and social care environment?........................................................................7
Q8. From service user’s perspective list of advantage along with disadvantages of using
technology in health and social care environment.......................................................................8
Q9. What issues in data protection impacts on people and businesses in health and social care
environment?...............................................................................................................................9
Q10. Producing oral presentation and delivering it to an audience at appropriate level.
Producing written communication which is appropriate for the organisation role...................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In health and social care organisation, communication goes beyond proficiency addition to
knowledge in order to incorporate aspects related to interaction and experience. Communication
is said to two way procedure in which meaningful message or information is conveyed from one
person to other party or individual through using mutually understandable symbols, words and
semiotic rules (Adamson, 2018) (Arnold and Boggs, 2019). For understanding communication in
health and social care, ASC healthcare company is considered which is one of independent
service provider to citizens related to learning disabilities and autism conditions and cares for
society through providing support services across UK. It provides improved support care as well
as treatments places without ad-ons and premium costs related with specialists services.
The assignment includes methods that are used for communication on health and social
care, strengths and weaknesses related to verbal addition to non verbal communication methods,
ways for overcoming communication barriers. Further, it covers advantages and disadvantages
for using technology in communication in the environment of health and social care. At last, it
discusses issues in data protect impacts people and companies in the environment.
MAIN BODY
Q1. Describe methods used to communicate in Health and Social care
Communication is said to the act for sharing or transferring information between people. It
is all about exchanging information via appropriate medium which enables an individual or
group of people to persuade or express emotions (Blakeman, 2018). In health and social care,
communication is significant as it all allows care providers to understand situation of patients
along with making best recommendations for improvements. In context to ASC healthcare
company, methods which are used for communicating are as described:
Verbal communication: This is main communication method in which people uses
spoken words for exchanging information. For example, In ASC healthcare verbal
communication method is widely used for keeping others informed, sharing emotions, providing
support to patients and family members, discussing and sharing words about best treatment for
disease or condition of patient, responding towards answers of teams and patients.
Non verbal communication: This is another communication method that involves
exchange of opinions, ideas and information without talking. It is done through facial
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expressions, hand gestures, body language, voice tones and other optical aids. For instance,
within ASC healthcare use of non verbal communication assist healthcare professionals to
connect with patients along with reinforces mutual relationships.
Alternative communication method: It is also known as augmentative communication
method which involves use of aided and unaided communication tools (Bonvillain, 2019). Some
of aided communication tools are alphabet boards along with electronic communication devises
which speak. Few unaided communication methods are gestures together with sign language. In
ASC healthcare, alternative communication method is used for exchanging information,
maintaining relationships, activity participation and expressing needs for the patients that are
unable to speak or faces other disabilities.
With above mentioned communication methods, information between patients and
professionals in health and social care such as ASC healthcare effective communicate about
disease and their treatments.
Q2. List of all methods used for communication in health and social care environment
Within health and social care environment, various methods are adopted by organisation
for communication purposes. It is analysed that to treat different patients, heath and social care
professionals uses wide communication methods (Cherry and Jacob, 2016). Moreover,
employees in nursing homes, hospitals along with distinct medical settings are required to share
information on regular basis with patients, superior doctors and residents related to medical
procedures, patient’s overall health addition to daily care tasks. In this context, the list of all
communication methods used in ASC healthcare is as below:
Verbal communication methods: The list of verbal communication methods used in
health and social care environment of the company are below:
 Oral communication: The verbal communication method in which information is
exchanged through spoken words via video conferencing, face to face talking, voice chat
or other medium.
 Written communication: It comprises of traditional pen as well as paper letters, text chats,
typed electronic document and others which convey information by written symbols like
language.
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Non verbal communication: This method entails communicating through sending together
with receiving workless messages or information. Various non verbal communication method
used in health and social care environment is listed below:
 Physical non verbal: The another name is body language that comprises eye contact,
gestures, facial expressions etc among patients, doctors and other people in the heath and
social care unit.
 Paralanguage: It is essential non verbal communication method which involves the ways
in which something is said despite of what is truly said. Through voice quality, speaking
style, voice tone and intonation are some components through which professional staff
within health and social care shares information.
 Gestures: It involves signals that are used with the body for the purpose of conveying
messages or necessary information in health and social care environment.
Q3. List of strengths and weaknesses of formal and informal communication methods
Formal communication:
In an organisation, when official information are exchanged via flows in different kevel
of hierarchy as well as conforms prescribed professional policy, processes, rules and regulation
then it is said to formal communication (Chen and Leung, 2018). The strengths and weakness
related to formal communication for ASC healthcare are as follows:
Strengths:
 Formal communication is adopted by professional of ASC healthcare through following
described rules that enhances organisational efficiency to huge level.
 Formal communication is preserved in fie which can be used as reference resulting in
keeping permanent record of communication.
 Under formal communication, employees and other staff are bound to maintain
discipline in business.
Weaknesses:
 Higher authorities communicate with manpower through maintaining succession board
that waste huge time of concerned individual (Dahama, 2019).
 In ASC healthcare, use of formal communication generally results in inflexibility as
when some necessary communication stages are required to change it becomes quite
difficult.
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Informal communication:
The communication type in which exchange of information do not pursue with any
channels or hierarchy or communication stretches across all directions is defined to informal
communication. The strengths and weaknesses which ASC healthcare experiences through using
the type are as listed:
Strengths:
 Informal communication improves relationships through solving any type of problem
among management and employees as soon as possible.
 It is more flexible as it is free from various kinds of formalities and easy implementation
of changes in stages of communication.
 The communication type transmit information rapidly that results in quick decision
making.
Weaknesses:
 Informal communication distorts meaning along with subject matter of message in the
system.
 Within informal communication, staff members do not obey formal authorisation system
which creates huge misunderstanding among sender and receiver of information.
Q4. Produce brief sheet which outlines principles of effective communication
Principles of effective communication
Communication is the act for transmitting information and receiving timely response of the
message. Effective communication is the aspect wherein receiver understands what actually
sender wants to convey in same manner. Some of principles of effective communication that are
used in ASC healthcare while exchanging information are as listed;
 Principle of objective: As per the principle, communicator must have clear
communication purpose prior actually transmitting message. When objective of
communication is clear then it makes communication easy (Dickinson and O'Flynn,
2016). In context to ASC healthcare, the main objective of communication is for
obtaining information, initiating action, changing attitude of others and giving
information to patients or other organisational employee.
 Principle of consistency: The principle states that information to be communicated must
be consistent with programmes, plans addition to objectives of entity. it must not create
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chaos or confusion in workplace (Fearn-Banks, 2016). In ASC healthcare, professionals
follow the principle so to share information in consistent manner.
 Principle of completeness: The principle says that information which is to be shared
must be complete addition to adequate. In relevance to ASC healthcare, top management
shares adequate information that maintains efficiency of parties in entire communication
process.
 Principle of time: The communication principle states that messages or ideas must be
transmitted on time in order to create desired response in receiver’s mindset (Eklof and
Ahlborg Jr, 2016). In ASC healthcare, professionals share or exchange information
through considering the principle in order to make communication with patients,
residents and others more effective.
With the mentioned principles of effective communication, entire actions and processes to
communicate information with patients, employees and other eternal parties effectively.
Q5. How can barriers to communicate be overcome? Selecting any one barrier and description of
ways it would be overcome?
In present era, multiple communication barriers are faced in health and social care sector.
Following are some the ways in which communication barriers can be overcome properly in
ASC healthcare:
 Eliminating perception differences: It is important for an entity to ensure that accurate
staff is placed on the job (Giger, 2016). In ASC healthcare, through eliminating
perception differences among employees in heath care and conducting proper induction
program results in overcoming from communication barrier.
 Using simple language: While attending patients and exchanging information with staff
members, use of simple language is best way for ASC healthcare to overcome any form
of communication barrier.
 Avoid information overloaded: Superiors or professionals must have proper knowledge
about prioritising working. At the time of allotting working to staff in ASC healthcare,
managers should not overload them with workings. Moreover, by spending time with
subordinates and newly appointed staff, it is possible to overcome communication
barriers.
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In ASC healthcare, one of communication barrier is psychological barrier which influences
psychological state of people that exchanges information resulting in obstacle in effective
communication. It is seen that doctors and patients have different psychological or mental level
that communicators are disturbed through mental disturbances (Hubley and Copeman, 2018).
Following are some of ways through which it can be overcome promptly:
 Actively listening: When professionals of ASC healthcare listen attentively along with
carefully about problems of patients and also making them conformable to share the
queries will lead to overcoming psychological barrier among receiver and sender of
information.
 Ensuring proper feedbacks: In any communication, feedback plays essential
component. When managers of ASC healthcare will able to receive feedbacks from
employees and patient s family about what they wanted to say the communication barrier
can be overcome.
Q6. What are communication methods found in health and social care environment?
According to Yunk (2020), Unified Communication as a service offers set of applications
which enhances collaboration. In health and social care environment, communication methods
are increasing used for providing diagnostic technicians, doctors and other medical employees in
field of health and social care for improving efficiency together with quality in context to
healthcare delivery. The communication methods that are found in health addition to social care
environment are as follows:
Visual communication: It is method of communication in which visual aids including
graphic designs, signs, drawing, illustration as well as other electronic resources are used by
doctors to recommend treatment to patients in healthcare centres. In context to ASC healthcare, it
is found that doctors and other professional staff use visual communication method to treat
patients and share information with employees.
Online patient database: In health and social care, cloud based databases provides
reliable, safe and compliant methods of communication for medical staff, heath administrators
and other professionals for coordinating information and care via immediate access to histories
and charts related to patient health. For example, communication method of online patient
database helps doctors of ASC healthcare to have full information about histories of patient
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disease and the treatment given to them till now. It facilitates them to start another effective
treatment as early as possible.
Platform Agnostic Email and Conferences: The communication method is quite
popular in health and social care environment in changing era. It provides effective way to
administrators together with medical providers to exchange information immediately with each
other across multiple devices (Keeley, 2016). For instance, chat, messaging and email are some
communication methods that allow people of ASC healthcare to notify appointments of patients
at the time addressing concerns addition to questions at any time and any place.
Q7. What are advantages as well as disadvantages of using technology in communication for
company in health and social care environment?
Technology in communication is about usage of programs addition to equipment in
procedures of communicating information. In modern world, technology has changed the aspects
in which people communicate with one another. In health and social care environment,
technology in communication provides various advantages to companies operating in it. At same
time, it also has certain disadvantages also (Kramer and Danielson, 2017). Following are
advantages and disadvantages that ASC healthcare experience due to technology in
communication:
Advantages:
 Technology in communication benefits ASC healthcare in communicating with patients
and employees from anywhere at any time. With this, the organisation is able to
enhance its customer base through solving requirements of patients and employees timely
(Rains and Wright, 2016).
 Technology in communication also gives advantage to ASC healthcare about making
communication faster and effective in emergency situation. For example, when one
doctor is not available and important discussion is to be done about treatment of patient
then through technology in communication helps in making communication faster.
 Technology in communication increases productivity addition to efficiency of
organisation as it makes smooth flow of data transmission among staff members at
distinct levels. In association to ASC healthcare, it gives important visual images which
help employees and clients to interpret as well as collaborate properly over far places.
Disadvantages:
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 Technology is communication is not always reliable as some barriers can makes
communication ineffective and causes huge confusion among people. In case with ASC
healthcare, the disadvantage of integration of technology in communication makes things
unreliable in some situations (Schöpf, Martin and Keating, 2017).
 The another disadvantage of technology in communication for entity in health and social
care environment is that it requires huge resources to install technological elements in
communication methods or procedures which makes the entire concept costly.
Q8. From service user’s perspective list of advantage along with disadvantages of using
technology in health and social care environment
Technology is practical application of technical and scientific knowledge for specific
purpose (Stiff and Mongeau, 2016). It comprises of skills, capabilities and methods for applying
knowledge. In health and social care environment, use of technology is increasing day by day.
Following are some of advantages and disadvantages for service user of technology in the health
along with social care field:
Advantages:
 To a service user of health and social care facilities, use of technology benefits in making
live comfortable as using technology for communicating with doctors from large
distance helps in getting required treatment and overcoming from disease so to become
fit.
 Technology in the environment of health and social care provides advantage to service
user related to making relations with many professionals in the field. In the
environment, use of technology including internet, email and other technologies helps
service users of ASC healthcare to communicate with various doctors and professions in
medical on global scale.
 Technology in the field makes communication more efficient for service user as they are
able to have words with doctors in any type of circumstance and get prescriptions to cure
disease.
Disadvantages:
 Use of technology in health and social care environment makes communication less
personal for service user which is biggest disadvantage for service user to technology in
the field (Simmons-Mackie, Raymer and Cherney, 2016).
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 Service user while using technology in the environment is not sure with whom they are
communicating as when service user sends message about any query to doctors through
email, it is not always sure that doctors will only reply to their queries or providing
messages. Various times, the other professional people also send reply for the users
messages.
Q9. What issues in data protection impacts on people and businesses in health and social care
environment?
Data protection is defined to the process for safeguarding important information about an
individual or business from loss or compromise. Keeping information confidential about patients
and business secure is main priority in health and social care environment (Arnold and Boggs,
2019). When data of a person is protected then it impacts positively on them and creates no
issues for downtime tolerance. However, when data are not protected or some information gets
loss by ASC healthcare then various negative issues impacts efficiency, trust and many more in
health and social care environment. In present times, some of the issues which impacts on people
along with organisations within health and social care environment are as follows:
Outsourcing sensitive data handling: Now a days, organisations in the health and social
care environment uses relatively simple language in the documents and contracts with service
providers which needs them to safe guard sensitive data related to practices of entity and its
stakeholders. It is one of issue that impacts individuals to trust the enterprise while sharing their
important information at the time getting treatments. In context to ASC healthcare, it impacts of
the relationships which they have with multiple parties.
Treating all information equally: Data related with patients, investors and others are
treated equally in health and social care industry which is one of greatest issue in data protection.
It is important for organisation such as ASC healthcare to classify information as per the
sensitivity and worth in order to correctly evaluate as well as fund distinct protection level. it
impacts on people in the environment as no individual wants that their data is misused or treated
badly then influences their behaviour with the entity (Dahama, 2019) . Furthermore, it impacts
on entity by creating huge burden for managing data of all its patients and other key components.
Fragmented procedures addition to policies: Rather than claims which protect data is
strategic for organisation as the scope to protect data impacts in huge manner of people and
enterprises in health and social care surrounding. By looking towards enterprise wide protection
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strategy, the main aim of businesses in the sector is to build awareness as well as executive
support to treat sensitive data with technologies, procedures etc which matches regulations,
potential loss together with using data in appropriate manner. It impacts on people positively in
context to having faith on healthcare centres about their data. Moreover, Organisation such as
ASC healthcare also receives favourable response in building awareness and support from mass
populations.
Putting huge faith in assessment of risks: Risk assessment looks towards one thing at
one duration (Kramer and Danielson, 2017). Moreover, it is the issue in data protection which do
not provide holistic view of entire system. It is also seen that the issues impacts of viewpoints of
people to emphasis towards specific technology, control and policy in place. It also impacts
behaviour of people about the effectiveness of controls for data against malicious insiders. In
context to ASC healthcare, it thinks holistically for each data and considers flows through entire
system despite of testing and securing individual information.
Q10. Producing oral presentation and delivering it to an audience at appropriate level. Producing
written communication which is appropriate for the organisation role
(Covered in PPT)
CONCLUSION
From the assignment it has been concluded that communication is significant in business
sector as it enhances success, building respect and teamwork, problem solving, understanding
and successfully conveying opinions, ideas, information etc to others. Communication method
used in a environment are verbal communication, non verbal communication and alternative
communication method. The strengths of formal communication includes enhances
organisational efficiency, keeps permanent record and maintain discipline. Weaknesses of formal
communication are waste huge time and inflexible in nature. In context to informal
communication, strengths are improves relationships, flexible and transmit information rapidly.
While weaknesses are distorts meaning and creates huge misunderstanding. Certain principles of
effective communication are Principle of objective, Principle of consistency, Principle of
completeness and Principle of time. The ways through which communication barriers can be
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