Communication and Work in Health or Community Services - Assignment

This assignment delves into the crucial aspects of communication and work within health and community services, addressing key areas such as patient privacy and confidentiality, hand hygiene protocols, and the roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals. The solution explores a hospital's privacy policies, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the Privacy Act of 1988 and maintaining patient trust. It also examines various communication platforms suitable for disseminating information, including internal software and social media strategies. Furthermore, the assignment analyzes role descriptions, legislative requirements, and the significance of psychosocial assessments. It also highlights potential issues and necessary skills for healthcare professionals, providing a comprehensive overview of effective communication practices within the healthcare environment.

Running head: COMMUNICATION AND WORK IN HEALTH OR COMMUNITY SERVICES 1
Communication and Work In Health or Community Services
Name:
Institution:

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Communication and Work In Health or Community Services
Task 1
Question 1.1
Using Google, search “Health Facilities and Hospitals in Australia” choose the
Greenslopes Private Hospital. Click the “website” to access the page on complete load
(https://www.greenslopesprivate.com.au/). Cursor on, “coming to hospital,” toolbar a list of
options rolls down. The ninth item is privacy policy, open then click on the link:
www.ramsayhealth.com. Lastly click on the sustainability toolbar, and then open patient safety
and quality.
Ramsay Private hospital patient privacy policies work under the privacy guidelines of
Australia formed under the pricy Act of 1988. The act provides healthcare professionals with
principles and best ways to handle critical health information. The facility is obliged to
respecting and putting into action all the policies on personal information collection, how it is
used, disclosed and storage. Personal information collected and even revealed by Ramsay
Hospital is solely used to give medical services and maybe other relevant uses such as for
maintenance of medical records, when liasing with healthcare experts or your health sponsors,
for other law permitted purposes among others. During the process of outsourcing services, some
personal information may be shared with the involved parties such as a survey contractor who
wants to get opinions and experiences from discharged patients with the Hospital. Outsourcings
of services are done with privacy and confidentiality of personal information policies in place.

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Question 1.2 Job role being detailed
Keeping clinical records private and inaccessible to unauthorized persons is one of the
important roles of health practice. It obligates health professionals to conceal a patient’s health
information unless given permission by the patient to reveal assessment outcomes. Clinicians’
relationship with patients can be made or broken by failure to keep records private. As a
clinician, this policy is relevant to my job responsibilities. Clinicians are responsible for their
patients’ personal information safety and confidentiality by ensuring strong privacy mechanisms
to boost the patient confidence and trust in healthcare services. When a patient feels comfortable,
secure and respected, it is easy for the clinicians to give full and honest reports of assessments.
Question 1.3 Confidentiality and Privacy policy
Revelation of personal information could happen either consciously or unconsciously
when privacy related procedures are ignored. When a nurse leaves his or her medical notes or
pre-operational assessment done in an open area, a patient’s personal information may be
accessed (O’Brien, 2010) The recent methods of information storage such as computerization
documents make distribution easy and faster but with a huge risk of unauthorized access if
necessary precautions are not considered. Unconscious breaches of a patient confidentiality in a
healthcare facility may happen when sending colleagues email. Without proper encryption,
unauthorized interception and access to this information is likely. Data encryption at both ends is
therefore necessary to ensure safety. Failure to consider privacy procedures, issues such as
posting a patient’s pictures or videos in social media without consent may occur. Posting the
pictures or videos of a patient is a breach of confidentiality and privacy policy. The

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consequences of privacy breach include failure to respect the patients’ autonomy; a sign of
betrayal. The patient can choose to pursue his claims if need be through civil, criminal or
disciplinary committee proceedings where the doctor or the whole hospital can be fined for
confidentiality breach and even work permit struck off. (Baillie et al, 2011).
Task 2
Question 2.1
See attached brochure
Question 2.2 Communication platforms that may be used to circulate hand hygiene guide.
There are several ways that this document can be circulated in healthcare services as well
as communities. In health care facilities, Snapcomm internal communication software will be the
best choice for health workers besides the standalones, brochures, and factsheets in their offices
(Ann2012). The software is dynamic, compelling and attractive; the messages get more attention
hence greater compliance in healthcare worker. It supports the use of desktop stickers that keep
the workers informed on matters of hand hygiene and other important messages from the head of
the institution or other stakeholders, showing the benefits of effective hand hygiene as a routine
concern. Screen savers with eye appealing visuals remind the staff on the hand hygiene policy.
Lastly, Snapcomm enables anonymous data collection on the current hand washing behaviors.
The results can be accessed and analyzed to help the manager determine the success of the
campaign (Global Hand Washing Day 2018, WHO, 2009).

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Hand washing campaigns would be appropriate for communities. The campaigns can be
done in schools, market places, churches and any other gatherings. During this time, hand
washing brochures, stickers, guides posters and factsheets are circulated. Campaigns are
practical, effective hand washing steps can be demonstrated. For social media purposes, the
document can be modified into animated videos then shared to various platforms such as
podcast, twitter, website among others. Policies such as Social Media and Digital
Communications Policy ensures confidentiality; confidential information about the health care
service and a patient (British Medical Association, 2011)
Task 3.1 Role or position description (PD)
See the attached PD copy
The PD does not detail information about the industry or the organization and related award for
the role. The details can be got from the website of an industry (employees’ entitlements, awards
and wages)
Question 3.2 Responsibilities of the role detailed in the PD that would have legislative
requirements or accreditation standards that apply
Role: Assess clients’ needs and level of functioning including a bio psychosocial assessment of
all clients.
https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/2058

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Question 3.3
There are a good number of different professions that provide services that focus on helping
improving healthcare outcomes. Counselors, occupational therapists, social workers, community
mental health nurses, psychologists, mental health pharmacists, psychiatrists, and psychologists
are some of healthcare professionals that can be involved in performing psychosocial
assessments. Of course it will require a multifaceted team for quality therapy outcomes.
Question3.4. Issues could be encountered in performing the duties of this work role
When performing your job responsibilities, there is a likelihood of that some issues would arise.
These issues may negatively affect any health professional. They include but not limited to
limited access to modern technology, lack of training, poor organizational culture and
insufficient time with patients. I would write to the manager appreciating his efforts to make
service delivery efficient.
Question3.5. Types of personal skill maintenance or development would be relevant to
continuing in this work role?
A clinician is required to maintain and develop personal skills such as excellent problem solving,
listening, social and communication, analytical, tolerant, empathy, and critical thinking skills to
efficiently carry out their job responsibilities (General Medical Council 2010). Information or
advice on how to set goals and plan for skill and knowledge development can be got through
trainings, seminars and reading relevant healthcare books and articles. The focus is to be more
knowledgeable about job roles and to perform them efficiently.

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References
Ann Langdon (2012). Use of Digital Media (including Social Media and/or Networking Sites)
Policy
Baillie, L., & Baillie, L. (2011). Dignity in healthcare - a practical approach for nurses and
midwives
British Medical Association (2011). Using social media: practical and ethical guidance for
doctors and medical students. Available from http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-
work/ethics/ethics-a-to-z (accessed 21 January 2013)
General Medical Council Supplementary Guidance, Making and using visual and audio
recordings of patients,
(2011) http://www.gmc.uk.org/static/documents/content/Making_and_using_visual_and_
audio_recordings_of_patients_2011.pdf accessed 26 March 2013)
General Medical Council. Guidance for doctors: confidentiality, (2010). Available from
http://www.gmc-uk.org/static/documents/content/ Confidentiality_0910.pdf (accessed 21
January 2013)
Global Hand washing Day: Planners guide (2018).Available from
https://globalhandwashing.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GlobalHandwashingGuide20
18_EN-v4.pdf
NSW Health Public Communication Procedures. Available from
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.htm

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O’Brien, J. (2010). Confidentiality and the duties of care. Journal of Medical Ethics, 29(1), 36–
40.doi:10.1136/jme.29.1.36
World Health Organization. (2009). WHO guidelines on hand hygiene in health care: First
global patient safety challenge: clean care is safer care. World Health Organization, Patient
Safety.