This document discusses effective communication in healthcare. It identifies three components of communication: the sender, receiver, and message. In a doctor-patient interaction, the doctor is both the sender and receiver of information, so ensuring a shared understanding is important. Some keys to effective communication include: establishing rapport, active listening, body language, empathy, avoiding medical jargon, and addressing questions. Proper communication is also important for patient safety, such as during handovers which can utilize the ISBAR method. Special situations like breaking bad news require protocols to ensure compassionate and clear information sharing. Barriers to communication like language differences and disabilities also must be addressed.

2. Communication in Healthcare
“Communication is a transactional process to create meaning".
There are 3 components of communication .Those are sender,
receiver and massage. In a typical doctor-patient interview,
doctor assumes the role of sender as well as receiver. The
meaning which needs to be communicated is not in the
“massage” as the doctor may have a different meaning and the
patient may have different one. so the purpose of effective
communication is to share a common meaning

3. The following can be indicative list which needs to be
addressed to make communication effective
 Greeting, establishing the rapport
 Listening patiently
 Having a favorable body language which includes the way
we dress up, sitting posture, eye contact etc.
 Showing empathy(putting ourselves in patient/family
position)
 Not using unnecessary medical jargon
 Not being judgmental
 Clearing the doubts and confirming whether they have any
questions
 Greeting, thanking

4. Safe communication
 Communication is one of
the cornerstones of
patient safety. Some area
where communication
leads to patient safety
incidents are handing
over, communication in
emergency situation, and
lack of assertiveness
among nurses.
 There are various
methods for doing the
handing over.
One of the easier example is
using ISBAR
I
S
B
A
R
Identification (Of the staff, patient)
Situation(current problem)
Background (past problem, co-morbidities,
treatment given so far etc.
Assessment(vitals, pain,
drains etc
Recommendation (Investigation to be done ,
medication to be given consults to be taken
planning for discharge or move out etc).

5. Special Situations
 Special protocol to address the situations are:
o Breaking Bad News
o Disclosing Death
o Handling an aggressive patient/family
o Communication in case of emergency/disasters
o Disclosure of an adverse event
o Managing an angry employee
o Handling patient-staff argument etc.

6. Protocols for handling special situations
Breaking Bad news.
o Who is the responsible person to handle it (the concerned
treating consultant should be the one to disclose and not the
junior doctors)
o What preparation should he have before
(the doctor should have enough time have a room where serious
conversation can happen, know about the patient and relevant
investigation , have sufficient knowledge about further plan ,
have an experienced nurse along to help the patient to deal with
emotions)

7. o Where to do the breaking of bad news (Not in
corridors, but in a comfortable confidential room)
o How to break the bad news (Assessing patient
knowledge about illness, knowing the background
information, and gently but unambiguously breaking
the bad news without medical jargon)
o Plan(further Plans, curative, palliation, support etc).

8. Communication barriers
• There are many barriers to effective
communication.
• Many are internal barriers fatigues,
lack of interest and motivation, type of
patient etc which need to be identified
and handle by each healthcare
professional.
• but one of the major communication
barrier is this vast country language. So
the organization should identify staff
can act as interpreters in case for
particular language, to help the patient
interact and counseling. I
• t is also necessary to identify patient
with speech and hearing disability so
that they can be appropriately
counseled

9. Unacceptable behaviors
• These type of behaviors will make the
patient unhappy and the hospital to
lose its patient base. so it is the
responsibility of the management to
identify such unacceptable behaviours.
the management also should ensure a
disciplinary action is taken against staff
displaying unacceptable behavior.
• List of unacceptable behaviors is
exhaustive ,but at least the common
indicative list as left side should be
made public to staff
•Alcohol and smoking at
workplace
•Abusing a patient
•Inappropriate behaviours
with women
•Employee fighting in the
corridors
•Disrespect to any religion
•Any behaviour violating the
patient right
•Talking bad about
professional colleagues of
same or different specialty
•Talking bad about alternate
approved system of medicine
•Corruption etc.

10. Monitoring and Training on
communication
• Monitoring on communication
• with the help of patient
feedbacks, complaints and
analysis of incidents the issues
which are communication related
should be identified as this forms
the major portion of root cause.
then appropriate dissemination
of information in the form of
training to concern personnel
should be given as a preventive
action
Communication strategy
Educating
Monitoring
Learning constantly
“Good Communication
practice”