43 Regardless of the help available, however, the physician must always play a significant role in the communication process. True interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration can prevent this complication. 55 In the inpatient setting, social workers, advanced practice nurses, psychologists, and chaplains can assist in the provision and modeling of effective communication with children and their families, 90– 93 but the practice of depending on numerous caregivers to communicate poses a risk of families being exposed to conflicting information and opinions, often provoking anxiety and confusion. 87 Nonphysician mentors who are trained communicators, such as child life therapists, 88 child psychologists (as an example, see Sourkes 89), and members of the American Academy on Communication in Health Care (AACH [ can help practicing physicians and medical school faculty develop these skills. A large national survey published in 2003 indicates that medical school faculty members may, themselves, need communication skills training. 1 This may be attributable, in part, to a dearth of skilled mentors. Health care communication is currently learned primarily through trial and error. 40– 43 Poor communication, on the other hand, can prompt lifelong anger 31, 42, 44– 48 and regret, 14, 40 can result in compromised outcomes for the patient and family, and can have medicolegal consequences for the practitioner. 3, 4, 37 In the case of distressing news, skillful communication can enable a family to adapt better to a challenging situation, 12, 38, 39 including a child's unanticipated impairments. Effective health care communication is an essential tool for accurate diagnosis 17– 19 and for the development of a successful treatment plan, 20– 23 correlating with improved patient knowledge, 15, 24 functional status, 25, 26 adherence to the agreed-on treatment regimen, 20, 21, 27– 32 improved psychological and behavioral outcomes, 15, 33– 36 and even reduced surgical morbidity. Communication is the foundation of the therapeutic relationship it is the basis of fiduciary and ethical obligations of physicians to patients and their families. Painful issues, such as abuse, school failure, drug use, and terminal illness, are also discussed. These include hopes and fears, developmental concerns, sexuality, and mental health disorders. Health care communication is different from normal social discourse, because intimate and very private issues are often discussed. Communication is the most common “procedure” in medicine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |