Communication Strategies for Healthcare Professionals and Patients

This essay examines the critical role of communication in health and social care settings, emphasizing its importance for effective patient care, especially in residential homes. It explores various communication theories, including the communication cycle theory and Tuckman's theory, which provides a framework for understanding group dynamics. The essay details essential communication skills, such as verbal and non-verbal communication, and methods for dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication, including active listening and using clear language. Furthermore, it addresses strategies for communicating with visually impaired individuals, such as using Braille, speech, and audio-visual aids, and strategies to overcome communication barriers, such as cultural differences and jargon. The essay concludes by highlighting the significance of communication for identifying patient needs and providing appropriate care, supported by references to relevant literature.

COMMUNICATING

Table of Contents
NTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Theories of communication...................................................................................................3
1.2 Communication skills in health and social care....................................................................4
1.3 Methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication.................................5
1.4 Strategies for visually impaired people and to overcome communication barriers..............5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
Covered in Brochure ..................................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
Covered in PPT...........................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

NTRODUCTION
Communication is important medium to transfer view and necessary information with
each other. It is required to have effective communication among the employer and employees so
that they share essential elements. It is important to be in every organisation whether it is of
private sector or public sector (Bennett, 2010). Communication is key part in health and social
care industry as Residential Home. This organisation takes care of old age people and person
with disability and provides them facility like their home. It is required to have effective
communication skills among the social and health care workers so that they can identify the
needs and wants of dependent person and may provide facility accordingly.
TASK 1
1.1 Theories of communication
Communication is required at each stage. There are many theories that can be used to make
effective communication as:-
1. Communication cycle theory:
This theory was developed by Charles Berner in 1965. It is two way process. It states that
effective communication among health care professionals is required so that they may respond to
verbal and non-verbal feedback. Communication cycle consists of six stages.
 An idea occur- It is very first stage, where idea and some information occur in the mind
of doctor and nurses that is required to communicate to patient.
 Message coded- At this stage, it is required for processional to code their message in
effective way like use of British sign language to know the problem that is faced by
patient.
 Message send- The information that is required to communicate to patient is send to other
party (Betancourt, J.R and et.al., 2016).
 Message perceived- Here, focus is made on receiver who receive information via sign
language. It is required to communicate message to person in more quicker and effective
way.
 Message decoded- It is to interpret the message that is send by interpreter. It is total
assumption that how people will take such information so staff notices body language
and facial expression of receiver.

 Feedback- It is the reaction of patient over the information that is received. It is not
necessary that message is correctly interpreted to them so feedback may be in negative
way.
2. Tuckman's theory:
This theory is developed in 1965 by Bruce Tuckman. It covers four stages to handle the task in
more effective way as:-
 Forming- Here, group of individual come together and try to avoid conflicts among them.
People use to eliminate their hesitate so that they can make effective communication.
 Storming- When hesitation is addressed then people feel free to share their views. They
started to solve the serious issue at their own hand. It is the stage when differences among
them are thrashed out.
 Norming- The member started to look for structural and procedural clarity. At this stage
the norms and rules of group are formed (Greene and et.al., 2011).
 Performing- Here, all the member becomes a group. They are high on trust and very loyal
toward others. When issue among them are addressed in effective way then they started
to perform the task in more effective way.
1.2 Communication skills in health and social care
Communication is required in very organisation. It is required to have effective skills so
that leader can communicate their views and information with others. There are different ways of
interpersonal interaction as-
 Verbal: The message is communicated with other through words. It is clear way to
transform important information. This way is easy to adopt and clear to understand by
others.
 Non-verbal: It covers tone, volume of voice, gesture and posture, facial expression,
stance etc. this way is required to adopt effectively because sometime, it creates
confusion and message is not communicated properly.
Communication skills are required top have in the worker of cited health and social care
organisation. It is helpful tool to identify the needs and wants, issue that are faced by patient.
This term provides assistance to people who are residing in such organisation. It is required to
have one to one, group, formal and informal communication, among staff so that problems can
be addressed in more effective way (Kreps and Neuhauser,2010). This is one of the important

segment of this industry because it helps to achieve the goals and objectives and to enhance their
performance. It is required for such firm to identify the issues that are faced by patients so that
effective treatment can be provided to them in more effective way.
There are many techniques can be used by such business to address the problem of their
patient. Different mediums are available that can be used to identify the issues and to provide
effective solution. Some patient have problem which they can not share with everyone so it is
required to try to solve by using different techniques.
1.3 Methods of dealing with inappropriate interpersonal communication
Communication can be said as inappropriate when there is lack of communication skills
and any other disturbance due to cultural factors, noise, misrepresentation, misinformation.
These are the hurdles that affect in transformation of information.
Following are the methods to deal with it as:-
1. Listen actively- It is required to listen what others are saying. This is important tool that
can be used to make effective communication because when one will listen others
attentively then such person will be able to communicate their views in more effective
way.
2. Don't Interrupt- It is the good technique to let the others complete. Cited barrier can be
addressed in effective way when there is lack of interruption in communication. It is
required to eliminate interruption while someone is speaking (Levinson, Lesser and
Epstein,2010).
3. Use easy to understand words- It is important to use easy words so that others can
understand views. When someone use typical words while communicating then such
person is unable to transfer his views and information to others.
4. Use positive statement- It is required while communicating to large number of people to
use positive statements so that it can not affect to others in negative manner.
5. Understand the differences- there are many difference among the parties so it is required
to consider such in effective way so that it can not affect communication. This is the
important task because if this factor is not understand then it creates hurdles in
communication.

1.4 Strategies for visually impaired people and to overcome communication barriers
There are many strategies that can be adopted to address the issue that are faced by user
of health and social care organisation while serving to them. It is required for cited organisation
to under their problems so that they can provide better treatment to them. There are many people
who are unable to listen properly and some of them have visionary issue so it is required to adopt
such measures of communication as visual (for them who have hearing problem) and audio
medium (who have visionary issue) so that their problems can be identified.
Braille is the strategy that can be used to teach blind and visually impaired people. These
are the people who have total absence of vision, may be partially or low vision. It is required for
Residential Home to provide them effective treatment and to address their needs. This strategy
can be adopted by cited organisation to deal with such people. Such organisation can adopt
strategy of speech to deal with such person (Millar and Hall,2013). They can ask them regarding
the issue that are faced by them so that they can provide them treatment accordingly. Video and
audio means can be adopted by them to identify the problems that are faced by such patient.
Strategies that can be used to solve the problem that are faced by the people who are
unable to listen. It is required for cited organisation to use written way to communicate with
them. They can use video medium which can be used to identify the problems that are faced by
them. It is the effective way where they can ask question regarding the problems by writing it on
paper so that they can tell their problems.
Following are the strategy that can be used to overcome communication barriers:-
 Listen properly: it is required to listen before reacting. This is important segment
that says that communication barriers can be solved when there someone will think
before speaking and listen others.
 Avoid jargon: It is required to communicate in a ways that can be under-stable by
others. It is the key part for the success of communication to avoid use of insider
language or jargon (Moule and Hek, 2011).
 Aware of cultural differences: This is the important segment to understand cultural
variation so that issues can be addressed in more effective way. It is required to
address so that there will be effective communication.

 Keep an open mind: It is required to be open mind so that others can understand the
view and points of the others. It can be possible when they are ready to accept the
views of others.
TASK 2
Covered in Brochure
TASK 3
Covered in PPT

CONCLUSION
As per above discussion it can be concluded that communication is important segment
that is required to consider at every stage of organisation. It plays key role in operation of
Residential Home. This is required to have at every stage of organisation so that they can address
the problem in this regard. Information technological software as ICT can be used by firm so that
they can identify the needs of their patient. It is required to have effective system so that they can
address the problems that are faced by patient in organisation.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bennett, P., 2010. Risk communication and public health. Oxford University Press.
Betancourt, J.R and et.al., 2016. Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for
addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public health reports.
Greene, J.A and et.al., 2011. Online social networking by patients with diabetes: a qualitative
evaluation of communication with Facebook. Journal of general internal medicine. 26(3).
pp.287-292.
Kreps, G.L. and Neuhauser, L., 2010. New directions in eHealth communication: opportunities
and challenges. Patient education and counseling. 78(3). pp.329-336.
Levinson, W., Lesser, C.S. and Epstein, R.M., 2010. Developing physician communication skills
for patient-centered care. Health Affairs. 29(7). pp.1310-1318.
Millar, R. and Hall, K., 2013. Social return on investment (SROI) and performance
measurement: The opportunities and barriers for social enterprises in health and social
care. Public Management Review. 15(6). pp.923-941.
Moule, P. and Hek, G., 2011. Making sense of research: an introduction for health and social
care practitioners. Sage.
Reeves, S., Lewin, S., Espin, S. and Zwarenstein, M., 2011. Interprofessional teamwork for
health and social care (Vol. 8). John Wiley & Sons.
Sheldon, B., 2011. Cognitive-behavioural therapy: Research and practice in health and social
care. Routledge.
Street, R.L., Gold, W.R. and Manning, T.R., 2013. Health promotion and interactive technology:
Theoretical applications and future directions. Routledge.
Thompson, T.L., Parrott, R. and Nussbaum, J.F. eds., 2011. The Routledge handbook of health
communication. Routledge.
Thornton, R.L.J., Powe, N.R., Roter, D. and Cooper, L.A., 2011. Patient–physician social
concordance, medical visit communication and patients’ perceptions of health care
quality. Patient education and counseling. 85(3). pp.e201-e208.
World Health Organization, 2012. Dementia: a public health priority. World Health
Organization.
Wright, K.B., Banas, J.A., Bessarabova, E. and Bernard, D.R., 2010. A communication
competence approach to examining health care social support, stress, and job burnout.
Health Communication. 25(4). pp.375-382.
Online
Communication in Health and Social Care Essay. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://studymoose.com/communication-in-health-and-social-care-essay>. [Accessed
on 6th June 2017]
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