Effective Communication and Health Literacy: A Study in Healthcare

This essay discusses the importance of effective communication and health literacy in healthcare settings. It highlights how effective communication between nurses and patients, both verbal and non-verbal, promotes accuracy in diagnostics, enhances patient safety, and increases patient satisfaction. The essay also emphasizes the significance of health literacy, which enables patients to understand health-related information and follow medical instructions, reducing unwanted situations and health inequalities. Furthermore, it underscores the role of culturally competent communication in fostering a safe environment and improving the overall quality of healthcare, referencing relevant research to support these points.

EFFECTINE COMMUNICATION AND
HEALTH LITERACY IN HEALTH CARE

INTRODUCTION
In recent time it is the biggest challenge for the health care professionals to provide a
culturally safe environment.
In a multicultural environment nurses faces the challenges in communicating with the
patients. Health care literacy is another key factor to provide the best health care
facility.
Health care literacy helps the patients to understand about the medical condition of
their own.

What is Effective Communication?
 The term effective communication refers to the communication between the nurse and the patient. It can be
verbal and non-verbal. To gain an effective communication skill the nurse should have the qualities like
nonverbal communication skill like body language, listening and to form a personal relationship (Bramhall,
2014).

What is Health Literacy?
 The term health literacy indicates towards the fact that the understanding of an individual about the
health care terms and health related information. Health literacy ultimately enhances the quality of
health care.

Importance of Effective Communication
 Effective communication between the patient and the nurses can promote –
 Accuracy in diagnostic tests
 Helps in knowing patient’s exact medical history
 Increases patient safety
 Increases patient satisfaction (Bramhall,2014).

Importance of Health Literacy
 Helps the patient to maintain the instructions of the health care professionals
 Decrease the rate of unwanted situations in patients.
 A organization with health literacy also helps the patients to get health services and information in a
multicultural condition.
 Health literacy also promotes the communication skill of nurses to confirms the understanding (Johnson,
2015).
 It helps to reduce health inequality (Johnson, 2015).

Conclusion
 Effective communication helps in promoting culturally safe
environment
 Health Literacy helps in increasing the sense of culturally
competitiveness of the nursing professionals
 Culturally competent environment helps to reduce health-
inequality

References
Johnson, A. (2015). Health literacy: how nurses can make a difference. Australian Journal of Advanced
Nursing, The, 33(2), 21.Retreived from http://www.ajan.com.au/Vol33/Issue2/3Johnson.pdf.
Bramhall, E. (2014). Effective communication skills in nursing practice. Nursing Standard
(2014+), 29(14), 53.. doi: 10.7748/ns.29.14.53.e9355