Communication in Healthcare

Abstract

Health is an up-and-coming area within the field of communication. Health communication includes the practice and study of communication strategies to prevent diseases or illness, and to promote individual and public health or quality of life. The pace of health communication research and practice has increased and expanded dramatically over the last three decades. This paper aims to identify and examine communication methods, strategies and barriers in a healthcare setting.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Communication Methods5

Personal Healthcare Communication5

Professional Healthcare Communication5

Healthcare Communication Strategies6

Role of Technology in Healthcare Communication7

Barriers in Healthcare Communications8

Conclusion9

References10

Communication in Healthcare

Introduction

Effective communication is not only a way to have fruitful interactions between healthcare practitioners and their patients but it is also very important between healthcare practitioners themselves (Northhouse & Northhouse, 2003). Healthcare communication is a system of communication among different stakeholders. In this system of communication, interpersonal communication plays a pivotal role. When we talk about healthcare and communication, it is directed to the connection between the patient's data and physician. The model of healthcare communication views a broader perspective and includes the external factors that affect the healthcare setting, which persuades the participants also has an influence on the outcome obtained through interaction. The three major factors in healthcare communication are transactions, contexts and relationships (Loevinsohn, 1990).

Healthcare communication has a major role to play within the society. Healthcare communication is a major responsibility that requires maintaining relations between all the stakeholders within the healthcare ecological unit. A healthcare employee, despite the profession and educational level, must understand that by escalating their interaction skills and utilizing them to carry out their daily tasks, improving their health care and interpersonal relationships (Thompson et al., 2003).

Communication Methods

Personal Healthcare Communication

Health care units are viewed as a few, most efficient and effective pre-emptive groups in the social order (Northhouse & Northhouse, 2003). Thus, community projects in healthcare institutions are a common setting. For example, groups that focus on the family violence, reproductive health, abusive substances and reproductive health are now commonly taken care off in the healthcare units. In addition, the groups of healthcare are utilized as the centers for providing treatment to people suffering from lethal diseases e.g. patients suffering from cancer. So as, to magnify the outputs of these parties, it is obligatory to promote communicating of thoughts by communicating effectively (Shin, 2009). This helps the healthcare units to move a long way in order to enhance the usefulness of the precautionary programs, treatment programs and support group programs on a whole.

Therefore, effective ways of communication are required in order to realize and assert the outputs of the personal groups (Northhouse & Northhouse, 2003). For instance, healthcare communication is considered to be in the center as it is necessary to provide support. This means, in different situations, it might be more efficient to use challenging means. Therefore, it proposes that in a single scenario, only a few forms of personal communication can be applied. Accordingly, in personal groups, efficient communication is the key that helps achieving efficient outputs (Northhouse & ...