Strategies for Australian Practitioners
Many institutions underestimate and overlook communication in healthcare when treating their patients. But excellent communication is a necessity for patient well-being and operational productivity! Healthcare teams make hundreds and thousands of medical blunders owing to communication difficulties. However, they may turn things around by adopting strategic patient communication approaches, like:
Effective healthcare communication stresses such things to assist patients feel more confident about sharing their details and obtain better treatment. Healthcare providers in Australia can also profit by minimising expenses, enhancing brand reputation, and retain more patients.
Patients forget about 40-80% of the medical advice that their practitioner gives. It is typical for individuals to forget their diagnosis or medicines prescribed during their treatment. These things are an exact indication of pointless and inconsequential communication between patients and healthcare professionals.
Only medical care professionals can alter that by adopting the best practices in healthcare communication for everyone’s gain. And in today’s blog, we will talk about just that!
The question is how to enhance communication skills in healthcare despite the aforesaid hurdles? Luckily there are various things you may do to accomplish this motive! These solutions are straightforward, and most times, you don’t need to spend anything extra on them.
Be Humble and Polite
Being seated when talking with your patients makes a tremendous impact in patient satisfaction. If you wander about while addressing your patient’s difficulties, they may regard you as aloof and not tell you anything.
The key to good healthcare communication is being polite. You might start by welcoming the patient and asking them about their day. It can lead to a healthy beginning and repel patient worries.
Many patients cannot communicate in-depth about their personal or medical difficulties even after several minutes of health communication. In such circumstances, asking questions might be an icebreaker and allow patients the time to reflect on what they want to say.
Avoid Jargon Avoid using sophisticated medical jargon and phrases that might confuse your patients. Speaking a clear, intelligible language is one of the greatest practices in healthcare communication. If there is no simpler phrase to convey things to a patient, make sure to summarise everything. Try offering examples to let them comprehend correctly and clearly. Also, remember to conduct two- way conversation instead of a monologue.
After learning what is excellent communication in healthcare, you must also grasp another vital factor about it- confidentiality!
Your whole hospital staff may review a patient’s records if needed. But, it is preferable to strictly share access with only a few members of the patient’s immediate healthcare team. By limiting access, you can guarantee that your healthcare communication system is in place and compliant with the rules of your institution.
Furthermore, avoid discussing your patients informally with others outside their care team.
Effective communication in healthcare is not only about how individuals communicate to one other. It covers numerous other aspects that assist a hospital or clinic maintain a sound working environment.
Healthcare organisations should guarantee that their workplace opposes xenophobia, racism, transphobia, homophobia, classism, sexism, etc. They should offer a secure location for every patient that requires care. One method to achieve it is hiring translators; it may help in enhancing communication and contribute to a happy environment.
Hold Regular Meetings and Coordinate Well
Hospital management, physicians, lab technicians, administrative staff members, etc., must routinely have meetings to address communication in healthcare. They should discover new ideas or approaches to serve patients better and boost overall efficiency.
There should always be enough intrahospital communication regarding entering patient information in databases, exchanging medical data across various departments, etc. These duties are not simply ordinary data-entry chores but can affect patient safety considerably.
Use Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a pioneering healthcare communication approach for those times when it is difficult to see patients directly. Several healthcare professionals have started adopting telemedicine, including internet-based technology to treat patients remotely. After the Covid-19 epidemic, this way of seeing patients has earned a lot of recognition and popularity.
Now, healthcare facilities employ intranets or internal web networks to establish an effective health communication process. It makes cross-departmental correspondence and patient data sharing rapid and effective.
Moreover, telemedicine aids patients considerably since they may consult a doctor and start their treatments at the convenience of their own residence. A state-of-the-art healthcare communication application enables clinicians and patients to discuss medical issues using video chat. In this manner, your institution may minimise expenditures and establish a seamless communication environment.
Communication in healthcare is vital and yet sometimes disregarded. Effective communication in healthcare is a talent that requires brushing up from time to time. It also has to be updated periodically to fit the ever-changing demands of your patients. Thus, consider investing in expert healthcare communication training for all your team members. It will help them become more accountable for their behaviour and have an empathetic mindset towards their patients.
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