Focus On YOUR BEST HEALTH: Smart Guide to the Health Care You Deserve

HEALTH

one

Health Care Communication Matters

Communication works for those who work at it.

– John Powell

Try to imagine what your life would be like if you could not communicate your needs and desires. Think about planning a vacation, booking a contractor, or making a purchase. If you can’t convey clearly what you want or expect from each task, you may not reach your expected destination with all of its amenities, obtain your preferred home remodeling plan, or guarantee your best purchase.

No one will die if you don’t get the house remodeled the way you want or don’t get a proper fit with that new pair of shoes, but when it comes to your health care, communication takes on more importance. In life-threatening situations, failure to communicate effectively can lead to poor clinical outcomes or even irreversible consequences. Yes, it’s daunting to think about, but true. Clear, concise communication when addressing health matters is critical. And, in an ideal world, full engagement between a health care consumer and all members of the health care team is preferred.

As We See It...

As experienced physicians, we know how difficult it is for both patients and medical practitioners to be fully engaged during routine health care encounters. Every day, we see the reasons for this: time constraints, language barriers, and cultural differences, to name a few. These factors are major contributors to communication barriers. Our experiences have shown us that failure to recognize and overcome these barriers can have a negative impact on short - and long-term medical outcomes. Finding effective solutions to these barriers can result in positive outcomes, ranging from shorter hospital stays, to fewer infection complications, to improved functionality and a better quality of life.

If you are rushing to fill out a patient information form at the doctor’s office, you might mistakenly enter the wrong information or skip a section of the intake form altogether. For example, you might omit your family history of breast cancer, which is significant information for screening schedules and treatment options. This problem could be avoided by requesting the required forms ahead of your visit, especially if you are a new patient. This will allow you the opportunity to inquire about important family history as well as gather your personal history for accuracy. It is also the responsibility of the doctor and the staff to make sure that questions are easily understood by a range of individuals with different cultural backgrounds and educational levels. In addition, the questions on the medical form should reflect the doctor’s sensitivity to the level of medical knowledge in the general population.

The increasing diversity of our population dictates that health care systems and providers of medical services be more aware of the need to prevent language from becoming a barrier to care. If you don’t speak the same language as your doctor, an appointment can become a wasted visit for you and lost time for the doctor. It can also result in inadequate medical information, which could lead to an inaccurate or missed diagnosis. Because the doctor relies on precise information in making decisions regarding your health care, the facts you share are crucial. When there are language barriers, you should notify the doctor’s staff prior to your appointment. Ideally, arrangements for an interpreter should be easily accessible and instantly available. At larger medical and teaching facilities, this service is generally available and may include face-to-face interpreters, videoconferencing, or translation over the telephone. In our diverse society, it is the responsibility of all participants in the health care delivery system – doctors, patients, hospital personnel, and medical office staff – to be proactive in providing resources that will ensure clear, concise, and comprehensible communication.

When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective.

— Stephen R. Covey

Is Full Engagement Possible?

A meaningful relationship between a patient and a health care practitioner is formed in an environment where accurate information can be exchanged, where patient participation is expected and valued, and where there is a shared sense of openness and trust. This kind of relationship – full engagement – between patients and health care practitioners might sound like a pipe dream to some, but we believe it’s achievable. Let’s discuss how you can help make this a reality.

Let’s Communicate

We hear the word communication a lot. But what does it really mean? The word is derived from the Latin communis, or common. It means to share, impart, take part in, join, unite, or connect. In its simplest form, communication is a dynamic social interaction that involves the exchange of ideas between two or more people. Communication is one of the most important of all human behaviors. It allows us to ask for what we want, express our emotions, and relay important information to conduct our daily lives.

There may be special circumstances when patients are hearing impaired, which may require more attention and time to ensure successful two-way communication. What resources are used in these instances will depend on the severity of the impairment. Simply talking slower and allowing teach-back from the patient might benefit the parties involved, or a signing interpreter may be needed for more expert assistance. These modifications and resources are essential to enhance the understanding of shared medical information.

Why is communication so important to our health and the health of our loved ones?

As we’ve said, one of the most important places people communicate is in health care settings, where the stakes are high: poor communication can lead to missed or delayed diagnoses and inadequate or inappropriate medical care.

In a health care setting, effective communication is paramount. Both the health care practitioner and the patient will benefit from direct and honest sharing of information. This will result in a positive medical experience, will help to promote patient-doctor trust, and will lay the foundation for a viable partnership.

Breaking It Down...

There are four key components to effective communication: verbal communication, non-verbal communication, active listening, and written/electronic communication. We’ll discuss the application of each of these components to health care settings later in this chapter, but in the meantime let’s have a brief overview of them.

Verbal communication is pretty obvious: This is how we tell our stories and get our needs met through the spoken word. Every time we talk to our doctors about our medical condition, share concerns about our well-being, or discuss options for treatment, we are communicating. What you say about your health prompts the doctor to share medical knowledge, opinions, and recommendations with you. Or the doctor may ask you a series of health-related questions, to which you must respond factually and in detail. One of the best communication techniques that your doctor can use is to ask you open-ended questions. Instead of just asking you to respond with a simple yes or no, these kinds of questions allow you to fully express yourself. What exactly is an open-ended question? It is one that is designed to elicit from you, in your own words, more details and facts about your condition. Here are a few examples:

◦   Could you tell me a little more about your discomfort?

◦   Will you please elaborate on how this pain limits you?

◦   Can you describe what has changed in your everyday routine as a result of this condition?

◦   What makes the problem better or worse?

We know it is not always easy to speak up in a health care setting, whether you are seeing your regular primary care doctor or are being seen by a new doctor. But you should avoid falling into a pattern of answering questions with one word or a dismissive I don’t know. That is a conversation-ender, which will probably not contribute to additional sharing with your treating doctors or building a relationship with them.

Non-verbal communication is a way to get a message across without using words. Often, it amplifies what’s being said: Sincere eye contact or certain facial expressions can show that the listener is approachable. Appropriate body language and the use of hand gestures may encourage better rapport. Non-verbal communication isn’t always positive; it can also reflect disinterest, mistrust, or boredom. One very common complaint that we hear from people is that they feel rushed and uncomfortable when health care practitioners have one hand on the door while they are still talking. We call this hand-on-door syndrome.

Active listening is an important part of communication, which requires the participants to not only hear the words but understand the message. In a health care setting, the listener (whether doctor or patient) can give immediate feedback for clarification. These simple techniques will engage both parties. Remember, communication is a two-way street. If the listener does not understand the information being imparted, the communication is unproductive. To simply hear the spoken word is a passive exercise. The success of a communication exchange depends on both parties’ ability to hear the spoken words, understand the message, and use purposeful listening techniques to enrich the experience.

To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.

— Dr. John Marshall

We are well aware that in some instances patients report frequent interruptions from their doctor while they are sharing their medical concerns. It has also been reported that interruption dampens the desire of patients to continue sharing their medical history. This can lead to the doctor failing to obtain medical information that is critical to making a correct diagnosis. Such interruptions may appear to be rude, and they sometimes are. Nevertheless, it is important to be mindful of the reality of time constraints and pressures placed on doctors to see a certain volume of patients per day. If your office visit is fraught with interruptions, you might consider tactfully requesting that you be allowed to complete your story. If there are unpreventable time constraints, you should request another appointment. In summary, we cannot overstate the value of your role in providing pertinent, clear, concise, and accurate facts early on in the 15-minute appointment. Focus on what is important to you.

Electronic Communication in the health care setting is rapidly becoming the norm. Technology, however, can be a double-edged sword: In this overstressed world we all live in, it’s great to have a fast, efficient way to share information. However, the transition from paper to an electronic medical record (EMR) system is both time-consuming and distracting for the medical doctor, whether in a hospital or an out-patient setting. We frequently hear from people that they are upset about the lack of eye contact between them and health care practitioners, who may be inputting data into a computer instead of engaging them in dialogue. For some medical staff and physicians, the learning curve for EMR proficiency is steeper than for others. The process for data entry is time-consuming and cumbersome, and in many instances conflicts with how doctors were trained to document medical information. As a result, this technology can add more stress, workload, and confusion to an already complex system. Continual improvement and upgrading of EMR software to meet the needs of medical advances will continue to challenge medical practitioners.

So, how do you participate in this electronic process? The common practice now is to provide you with a