Communication in Health and Social Care

Communication in Health and Social Care

Introduction

Communication is an important aspect of life. Without communication, life would be difficult because one cannot understand what the other person wants or what is supposed to be done is a particular situation. All type of communication has an intended purpose and it is therefore important to choose a suitable way of communication to avoid misunderstanding. Effective communication in a health and social care setting is important so that both the service user and the medical practitioner can have a fruitful interaction.

Factors that influence communication and interactions in health and social care environments.

There are several factors that can influence communication in a health and social care setting. These factors could lead to either a positive or negative outcome depending on the situation. The factors include: proximity, lighting, setting and noise

Proximity. This refers to how near or far the patient is. Close proximity could have a positive impact in that the patient will feel comfortable when speaking. Also, there is some sense of confidence that no one can eavesdrop on the conversation since they are speaking in low tones. In addition, the medical practitioner can observe the non-verbal cues which will aid in an effective diagnosis. On the other hand, close proximity can have a negative impact because being too close can interfere with someone’s personal space. This will make the patient uncomfortable and the medical practitioner will receive wrong non-verbal signals.

Lighting. Lighting is important because the medical practitioner has to observe the patient. Too much light will decrease the focus and prevent effective communication. On the other hand, dim light will make it difficult to observe the patient’s facial expression. A well-lit setting will provide the required effective communication setting.

Setting. The setting of the interaction mood will set the patient’s mood automatically. A proper seating arrangement that ensures that the patient and the medical practitioner seat face to face ensures maximum communication including observation of body language. Also, the climatic condition and the scenery of the room should be proper to ensure that the patient’s focus is not redirected to how the room looks or feels like. A poor room setting will produce a poor interaction since the patient does not feel comfortable.

Noise. Background noise has both positive and negative influence. Background noise may distract the patient and event prevent hearing. On the other hand, the noise will give the patient a confidence boost since too much silence can make the patient feel under pressure and uncomfortable

Strategies used in health and social care to overcome barriers to effective communication and interpersonal interaction.

Reflective listening is important in overcoming communication barriers. Once the patient notices that the medical practitioner is responding to the conversation encourages them to talk more. This will give the medical enough information to make a diagnosis and also a chance to observe the patient’s body language.

Staff training is another way of overcoming a communication barrier. Well trained staff will come up with a way to make a conversation with any patient regardless of their condition.

Setting up an appropriate environment helps in making the patient comfortable and prevents them from re-directing their focus because of the environmental factors of the room. It is also important to assess the needs of the patient and choose the appropriate method of communication. For instance, the mode of communication for a visually impaired person will differ from that of a hearing impaired person.

Evaluation of the strategies used in health and social care environments to overcome effective communication.

A hearing aid could be used when communicating with a hearing impaired person. However, if the battery is not working communication cannot take place. also, a hearing aid also amplifies the background noise making communication ineffective.

Mobile phones are effective since the patient can talk to the practitioner without going there physically. However, this will hinder the practitioner from observing the patient’s body language which is important for making a diagnosis.

Interpreters are of great help where the practitioner cannot understand the language of the patient. An interpreter not only has to interpret words but also the meaning of the words. If the interpreter fails to get the intended meaning, the practitioner gets the wrong information therefore making a wrong diagnosis. In the same way if a translator fails to convey the intended meaning of a written statement, the medical practitioner gets the wrong message.

For a deaf community, using a signer is a good strategy. The signer has to use effective hand movement to make sure the patient understands what the medical practitioner is saying. Use of medical jargon could hinder this mode of communication.

In conclusion, effective communication is the only sure way of analyzing a service-user’s condition and making a quality diagnosis. It is therefore important to identify factors that hinder communication and come up with ways to eradicate them.