Healthcare Communication

Term Paper # 105160

Communication > Interpersonal
Medical and Health > Nursing
Sociology

This paper focuses on healthcare communication between the providers of healthcare and their patients.

1,454 words () | 8 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the term healthcare communication can refer to all types of communications used in the healthcare industry, be it communication between and among healthcare agencies, healthcare providers, and healthcare clients. In this paper, however, the writer concentrates on the topic of healthcare communication between healthcare providers and their patients-clients. The paper emphasizes the importance of this communication and looks at the current movement in healthcare education to bring back the human touch into healthcare practice in order for medicine to regain its soul.

Outline:
What is Healthcare Communication?
Relevance of Healthcare Communication
Emergency Room Situations
Confidentiality
Dealing with Family Issues
Dealing with Sociocultural Issues
Communication in the Process of Healing
Principles of Therapeutic Communication in Healthcare Settings
Verbal communications
Verbal communications
Nonverbal communications

From the Paper:

"Communication is an exchange, a two-way process. But sometimes this is forgotten in the healthcare setting when the patient-client becomes the passive, receiving end while the healthcare provider does all the talking and fails to listen. However, for healthcare delivery to be effective, there should be an exchange of information between the two parties.
"Healthcare providers have a 2-fold responsibility towards their patients who are basically their clients. First, they must have the technical skills, and second, they much have the ability to communicate and empathize. In other words, a healthcare professional does not only need the brain and skill to perform his/her work. He/she must also have his/her heart into it."

Sample of Sources Used:

Barry, C.A., Bradley, C.P., Britten, N., Stevenson, F.A., & Barber, N. (2000). Patients' unvoiced agendas in general practice consultations: qualitative study. British Medical Journal, 320(7244), 1246-1250.
Di Blasi Z., Harkness E., Ernst E., Georgiou A., & Kleijnen J. (2001) Influence of context effects on health outcomes: a systemic review. Lancet. 357, 757-762.
Empathy training for medical students. (2006). Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organization. http://www.eiconsortium.org/model_programs/empathy_training_medical_students.pdf. Retrieved August 24, 2006.
Greco, M., Brownlea, A., McGovern, J., & Cavanagh, M. (2000). Consumers as educators: implementation of patient feedback in general practice training. Health Communication, 12(2), 173-193.
Merriam-Webster Online. http://www.merriam-webster.com/. Retrieved August 24, 2007.