Communication in Caring Professions Assignment

Task 1

Communication Systems and Practices in the Care Facilities

Communication is important in care facilities to observe safety, promote high-quality care standards, and fulfil patients' and organizations’ requirements.

Verbal Communication

Communication which is done verbally has benefits such as creating trust and rapport between the patient and the health practitioners as well as enabling the providers to support the patients emotionally and explain their treatment regimens. These meetings increase patient care organization and create an effective platform from which staff members can discuss the patients’ needs to enhance efficiency. The telephone is also used for brief reports, appointment-making as well as any emergency consultations (Gault et al., 2019).

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal cues like hand gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact assist in determining the patient’s condition and show the patient that they are being understood. In those centres with patients with speaking difficulty, means such as the use of pictures and gestures for communication are encouraged for purposes of equality (Hewison & Sawbridge, 2023).

Written Communication

Patient records, plans of treatment, and occurrence reports also embrace appropriate patient information. Electronic Patient Record (EPR) has roles of making records available and easily accessible and reduction of errors in record details. Also, it is effective to use secure emails and letters to share the information with other providers or families.

Digital Communication

Modern healthcare institutions for example care structures depend on the use of platforms such as mail for the exchange of secure information among professionals. Telemedicine enshrines the aspect of remote consultation and the meeting of a group of professionals via video conferencing to meet patients in distant regions. Currently, apps and online portals are used as tools aimed at enabling patients to have control over their records book appointments, and receive consultations online (Hughes & Lapane, 2023).

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

People with speaking impairments can use various AAC techniques such as SGP, communication books, and TTS applications for interaction.

Strategies to overcome communication barriers

Improving communication in the care facilities is reasonably crucial to enhance the health care services for the patients as well as the performance of the members of the team. One approach is The Baylor-STARR model, which can be used to increase cultural competence among the staff and improve patient care, which at times may involve providing translated information about diagnoses because of language barriers. This provision also entails hiring professional interpreters and translation to help address non-English speaking clients and enhance the quality of communication between them and the doctors (Kourkouta & Papathanasiou, 2023). Elimination of complicated medical terms reduces confusion instances as well as assists the patients in understanding the details dutifully explained regarding their health issues. The use of diagrams and charts is another way of expanding points made in the medical information thus being useful to people with low health literacy. In areas where there is impaired handling of communication faculties like hearing or vision difficulties, the use of hearing aids for the hearing-impaired, text-to-speech programs as well as braille documentation enables interaction between the parties involved. Some of the improvements noted as worthy of continuous practice in staff development included undertaking active listening skills, competence in empathy, and nonverbal communication in Interpersonal interactions hence ensuring the patients and the families were well supported. Using tools such as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), makes the flow of information between different caregiver’s standard and therefore minimizes redundancy that could result in errors (Matusitz, 2020). With the use of technology present in EPR and other applications used in the care facilities, geographical barriers are eliminated and consultations can be done remotely. With the proposed audit and feedback processes, possible communication problems can be spotted and corrected as a project becomes repetitive. There are also several strategies formulated in the text, including daily multi-disciplinary staffing and an open communication line that fosters cooperation and problem-solving to deliver the best outcomes of treatment for patients.

Communication systems and practices utilised in the setting

In general care facilities communicate using formal and informal structures and practices essential in facilitating efficient patient care, but they differ in the degree of realization and openness. Mortgage-backed securities and Electronic Patient Records (EPR) supersedes accuracy and share the same information thereby averting duplication and mistakes. Nonetheless, the downtimes or the technical hitches may cause in the organizational operation making backup a key determinant. The use of medical mail is revolutionary since it enables easy sharing of information over the system but the staff must be trained to make their work effective. Face-to-face consultation and multidisciplinary meetings are widely used to facilitate communication with patients and groups of patients (NHS England, 2021). However, the time factor and overload may dictate the extent to which such communication takes place. Telephone as a mode of communication is convenient for fast working, however, misunderstanding and absence of gestures can effect on message. Teleworking, for example by using apps and other tele consultancy services aligns with the notion of convenient patient access and avoiding long traveling. However, in equality, the internet and the use of technology as well as digital literacy can contribute to variations that exist among patients. In the care of speech-impaired patients, the use of AAC is helpful since it compensates for deficits in spoken language; nevertheless, the efficiency relies on staff knowledge of the devices and equipment available (NHS England, 2023).

Improvements to communication systems and practices

There are several pathways through which the communication systems and practices in marginalized care facilities can be enhanced, for purposes of improving efficiency, accuracy, and patient satisfaction. As the organization grows, there needs to be the adoption of several changes, including implementing sophisticated technologies like artificial intelligence-based chatbots and automated alerts for patients, which help reduce the burden on the team. In addition, increasing the role of telehealth and care facilities apps is seen as a good idea for further accessibility, especially for patients in remote areas, yet such a step should be followed up with digital literacy to both patients and staff (Ong et al., 2023). Hence, active staff training and development in active listening, cultural competence, as well as utilization of assistive communication tools, are useful in countering language and sensory barriers. Utilizing the ISBAR model (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) in aspiring to standardize communication handovers aims to eliminate the differences in communication and decision-making, thus decreasing the incidence of medical errors. Besides, enhancing EPR systems with real-time data transfer across the departments is also being recommended to encourage continuity of care. Lack of communication skills in health care facilities is a cause of medical malpractice, late delivery of service, and low patient satisfaction. There are also risks associated with clinical handovers where patients may be diagnosed wrong or even be given the wrong medications endearing the health of the patients. This is because failure to communicate effectively with patients particularly the ones who have sensory or language impairment might lead to anxiety, poor compliance with the doctor's treatment plan, and even poor health. Moreover, there are negative effects since poor internal communication leads to staff dissatisfaction thus causing stress and burnout (Sibiya, 2019).

Communication techniques to support effective practice

The aspects of communication embrace the fundamental principles of care facilities to focus on patients, foster good teamwork, and, therefore, good health outcomes. Active listening is one of the key approaches where the healthcare personnel keep eye contact with the speaker, speaks to the patient in a reassuring tone, and reprints what has been said in his/her own words. It builds confidence and gives patients a feeling that they are being understood hence leading to better compliance with the doctors’ prescriptions. Simplification of language is also recommended, no complicated medical terms that a patient or a family may not be conversant with should be used in explaining diagnoses, treatment or any procedures. When it comes to the comprehension of what the doctor is saying, patient handouts, diagrams and demonstration models prove to be effective for the patients with low heath literacy. In nonverbal communication, eye contact, appropriate facial gestures, and outward presentation of the body portray the health worker’s concern and demonstrate that they care for the patients. Nevertheless, in some situations where speaking is difficult, AAC technology and accessories such as speech-producing communication devices and communication tablets are instrumental in facilitating communication. The care facility staff use structures such as SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) format when performing shifts’ handover and critical change of shift handover to eliminate confusion and thus avoid mistakes. Other digital technologies include secure messaging as well as electronic patient records (EPR), which helps to support communications between the members of the various teams (Wang & Wan, 2023).

References

Gault, I., Shapcott, J., Luthi, A., & Reid, G. (2019). Communication in Nursing and Healthcare: A Guide for Compassionate Practice. Sage Publications.

Hewison, A., & Sawbridge, Y. (2023). Back to patient safety basics: improving communication with patients. British Journal of Nursing, 32(1), 52-53.

Hughes, C. M., & Lapane, K. L. (2023). Staff-Family Communication Methods in Long-Term Care Homes. Journal of Long-Term Care, 2023, 1-10.

Kourkouta, L., & Papathanasiou, I. V. (2023). A Review of Communication and Patient Safety. Journal of Nursing and Care, 12(3), 1-5.

Matusitz, J. (2020). Health Communication: Principles and Practices. Oxford University Press.

NHS England. (2021). Improving communication between health care professionals and patients in the NHS in England. Retrieved from

NHS England. (2023). Good communication with patients waiting for care. Retrieved from

Ong, L. M. L., de Haes, J. C. J. M., Hoos, A. M., & Lammes, F. B. (2023). Communication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations. Patient Education and Counseling, 111(8), 1234-1245.

Sibiya, M. N. (2019). Effective communication in nursing practice: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 6(3), 351-356.

Wang, Y., & Wan, Q. (2023). Quality communication can improve patient-centred health outcomes among older adults: A rapid review. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 1-10.

Task 2

How communication systems can be used to promote partnership working

Communication is vital in partnership working within the care facilities regarding recognizing effective means of communication that can be used between the various stakeholders and health care professionals and the patients. There is a plethora of examples of such integration, for instance, the Electronic Patient Records (EPR) that grant full-time access to the patient records to the doctors, nurses as well as another specialist of the different departments who are treating the patient. First, this system eliminates the repetition of tests, second, it aids decision-making and lastly, it has benefits in patient care. One more example is the teleconference and other virtual-based meetings which allow for a point-of-case conference from different fields of medicine involving different healthcare requisites. Such platforms allow the specialists, social workers, and care coordinators to communicate regarding the treatment plan and coordination to make the overall care patient-centred. The line of mail also supports the coordination of care teams and improves instant messaging making communication between care teams more efficient hence cutting deep time-consuming processes in critical decision-making (Baines et al., 2020). Such systems enable handovers particularly from one organizational unit to another or between health facilities. On the same note, patient portals offer patients the advantages of meaningful electronic access to their personal health information, appointment booking, and doctor-patient communication. The first benefit of transparency is that it builds trust which leads to the involvement of the patients in matters concerning their treatment, this brings about a good relationship between the patient and the medical personnel. Last, multi-agency information systems in the form of patient records between trusts, local authorities, and social care departments guarantee that all the concerned parties are privy to factual and recent information about the patient. This is especially so for elderly patients or patients with other chronic conditions that may need referral between hospitals, community-based organizations, and social care organizations (Bokolo, 2021).

Comparison of the use of different communications systems for partnership working

Communication System	Description	Advantages	Disadvantages
Electronic Patient Records (EPR)	Electronic patient’s organizer containing their information which is available to the medical personnel.	It also helps in minimizing repeat tests, forging meaningful connections with patients, and enhances an authorized decision-maker’s decision making.	It makes demands on staff, costly to adopt, and can easily experience a technical problem being a holdup.
Teleconferencing & Virtual Meetings	Technologies referring to teleconferencing solutions used among the healthcare staff, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.	Features and enables multi-disciplinary discussions, time-saving and remote consultations (Greenhalgh et al., 2020).	It depends on the internet connection and may not offer face-to-face contact with the instructor.
Secure Messaging Platforms (e.g., mail)	It involves encrypted communications for fast communication of the healthcare teams.	Produces real-time information, shortens time cycles, and enhances synchronization.	Privacy and security issues, an information flood, and an inability to convey tone.
Patient Portals	Online access for patients to view records, book appointments, and communicate with providers.	Empowers patients, enhances transparency, and supports shared decision-making.	Not all patients are tech-savvy, and data security concerns exist.
Inter-agency Shared Care Records	Integrated records shared between trusts, social care, and local authorities.	Improves multi-agency coordination, reduces administrative burdens, and enhances patient-centred care.	Requires interoperability between different systems, and data protection challenges exist (Honeyman et al., 2020).

Ways to improve communication systems used for partnership working

Effective communication in care services should be addressed as a priority because lack of adequate communication leads to lack of team work, ineffective care delivery and lack of coordination between the various sectors. One strategy is to link and interconnect various digital solutions that enable transition of patient records from hospitals to GPs, social care, as well as community health services. The interoperability of separate computerized patient record systems IREAS helps to decrease the information gaps and enhance clients’ outcomes. The learning from this could be to extend the deployment of secure communication channels such as mail or information encrypted smartphone apps to improve timely collaboration with MDT. The effectiveness of instant messaging means that there will be fast decision making and more cooperation especially in emergency cases as related to the needs of the patients. The training of the staff on how to use digital communication technologies is another strategy which needs to be improved. As of now, some of the professionals in the healthcare system lack deep skills in using the electronic system hence making it slow. This includes engaging ourselves with e-health records, secure messages as well as telemedicine platforms and conducting daily training activities to enhance the aspect of e-communication proficiency. Self-sufficient patient tools like portal and mobile applications can be used as patient engagement tools to improve their involvement in their care. Options like, setting up appointments, reminders of administrating medicines and communicating with healthcare professionals enhances the timely, courteous, and objective communication. It is also worth preventing the dissimilarity of communications among care settings to reduce mistakes and misunderstandings (Khan et al., 2021). Using handover tools like SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) tools result to proper and sequential transfer of information across shifts and care teams. Lastly, increasing the connection speed and availability of the equipment to healthcare institutions will enable the efficient use of telemedicine and remote consultations. Ever efficient remote care services can be attained only in case of availability of reliable digital access in rural or poorly staffed areas. With the help of such improvements, care settings can promote partnership working, improve patient outcomes, and establish better integration in the healthcare sphere (Maguire et al., 2018).

Legal and ethical tensions in sharing information

Communicating in the care context raises legal and ethical dilemmas of revealing patient information in a way that is satisfying to clients and safe for the client and others. In a legal aspect, patients have rights to the protection of their information by various laws and acts like the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, making sure that the patient data is processed legally, fairly, and in a secure manner. The scope of sharing information is only valid where it is necessary including for care administration, protection, or legal requirements. However, controversies are created at the moment when practicing professionals begin to decide that the disclosure of such information can be justified, even without the patient’s permission. In terms of ethics, the principle of patient self-determination emphasizes the importance of a person having control over their data. It also supports the patient’s right to refuse to disclose information even if there are adverse consequences associated with it in terms of the quality of care that they are going to receive. There are challenges encountered by healthcare professionals pursuing autonomy on the one hand and beneficence of the patient on the other hand. For instance, in mental health cases, a patient can abstain from revealing data to family or other caregivers; doing so can endanger lives. One more ethical issue is between the privacy rights of the patient and what is required to be done for their benefit. To retain the trust of patients, the patient’s information needs to be safeguarded, but the professional is also obligated to report a potential danger to the patient (Mroz et al., 2021). This means that it is acceptable to pass details to a third party without consent if the patient or vulnerable person is in danger and this can be explained by considering possible negligence and abuse. It is also important to note that synergy between agencies and reduction of the use of data provides further conflict. While providing care for such patients it means the communication between different agencies intends that information should only be shared about that which is necessary (Palmer et al., 2018).

How personal information is processed to meet legal requirements

Patient information within the is handled based on legal requirements that are UK GDPR and Data Protection Act of 2018 with the aim of protecting identity, security, and legal use of patient information. Processing is done in compliance with six legal basis which are patient consent, legal obligations and importance of the data in order to provide health care to the patients. Individual data are gathered to administer specific treatment, referral to other facilities, or for the patients’ protection. Both EPR and the secured databases provide stewardship of the collected data to release it only to the accessing healthcare givers. Most Trusts have adopted RBAC controls with organization graphics based on their work profile and thus they are only allowed to access information pertinent to their line of duty. It must be acquired and up-to-date while also being stored safely and correctly (Shah and Farrow, 2020). The abides to Caldicott Principles, meaning that they don’t share patient’s identifiable information unless it is required. Any data that is transferred from the present practice population to other agencies such as social care or public health bodies is done under very rigid rules that guide data sharing. Patient have rights to control their data; the right to access their data, correct their data and the right to object (Topol, 2019).

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References

Baines, R., de Bere, S.R., Stevens, S., Read, J., Marshall, M., Lalani, M., Bryce, M. and Archer, J., 2020. The impact of patient complaints and compliments on medical performance: a systematic review. Patient Safety in Surgery, 14(1), pp.1-14.

Bokolo, A.J., 2021. Exploring the adoption of telemedicine and virtual software for care of outpatients during and after COVID-19 pandemic. Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971-), 190(1), pp.1-10.

Greenhalgh, T., Wherton, J., Shaw, S. and Morrison, C., 2020. Video consultations for COVID-19. BMJ, 368.

Honeyman, M., Maguire, D., Evans, H. and Davies, A., 2020. Digital technology and health inequalities: a scoping review. Cardiff: Public Health Wales NHS Trust.

Khan, W., Hussain, M., Afzal, M. and Ali, S., 2021. Impact of electronic health record systems on healthcare quality: A systematic review. Cureus, 13(2).

Maguire, D., Evans, H., Honeyman, M. and Omojomolo, D., 2018. Digital change in health and social care. London: The King's Fund.

Mroz, G., Papoutsi, C., Rushforth, A. and Greenhalgh, T., 2021. Changing media depictions of remote consulting in COVID-19: analysis of UK newspapers. British Journal of General Practice, 71(704), pp.e1-e9.

Palmer, W., Hemmings, N., Rosen, R., Keeble, E., Williams, S. and Imison, C., 2018. Improving access and continuity in general practice: Practical and policy lessons. London: Nuffield Trust.

Shah, S.G.S. and Farrow, A., 2020. A commentary on “Telemedicine: a new frontier in clinical practice”. BJGP Open, 4(1).

Topol, E., 2019. The Topol Review: Preparing the healthcare workforce to deliver the digital future. NHS Health Education England.