Basic Communication Skills outlines the key components of the communication process. Communication is defined as the mutual process of relating and interacting with others through various means. The aims of communication are to promote effective interaction with patients, caregivers, colleagues and professionals, and to create desired changes through information exchanged. The core components that enable communication are the sender, message, channel, receiver, and feedback between the sender and receiver. Barriers like physiological, psychological, environmental and cultural factors can also interfere with effective communication.

1. Basic Communication Skills
Dr. Vineeta Shukla
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2. What is Communication?
• Countless number of ways that humans have of keeping in touch with
each other
• It is the process by which we relate and interact with other people
• It is a mutual process between two sides (Dialogue) not a one sided
monologue
• It includes listening & understanding with passion & respect as well as
expressing views & ideas and passing information to others in a clear
manner
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3. Aims of Communication
• To promote the practice of effective communication within
healthcare with patients, carers, colleagues and other
professionals
• To bring about a change in the desired direction of the person
who receives the communication (This may be at cognitive,
affective or psychomotor level)
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4. Components of Communication Process
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Sender Message Channel Receiver Feedback

5. Sender
• Should know-
• His objectives
• Audience
• Message
• Channels of communication
• Professional abilities and limitations
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6. Message
• Characteristics of good message
• In line with objective
• Meaningful
• Based on felt needs
• Clear and understandable
• Specific and accurate
• Timely and adequate
• Fitting the audience
• Interesting
• Culturally and socially acceptable
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7. Channels of Communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Mass media
• Folk media
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8. Receiver
• Audience is of two types
• Controlled- held by common interest
• Uncontrolled- gathered due to curiosity
• More homogenous the audience is,
greater the chance of effective communication
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9. Feedback
• Flow of information from audience to sender
• Interpersonal communication-immediate feedback
• Mass communication-takes time
• Methods of obtaining feedback-opinion polls, attitude surveys,
interviews
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10. Types of Communication
Types Characteristics
One-way Communication (Didactic method) Knowledge is imposed
Learning is authorative
Little audience participation
No feedback
Does not influence human behaviour
Two-way Communication (Socratic method) More likely to influence human behaviour
Verbal Communication Persuasive than written communication
Non-verbal Communication Bodily movements, postures, gestures, facial expressions
Formal and Informal Communication
Visual Communication Charts, graphs, tables, pictograms
Telecommunication and Internet
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11. Barriers of Communication
• Physiological e.g. visual or hearing difficulties
• Psychological e.g. emotional disturbances, levels of intelligence etc
• Environmental e.g. noise
• Cultural e.g. Illiteracy, level of knowledge & education, language,
customs & beliefs
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12. Thank you
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