Health Care Communication Methods - Essay Example

Health Care Communication Methods When dealing with critical issues that include the consent of the people in the society, different methods of communication must be applied in order to ensure that little resistance is received. As a community based organization which requires the consent of the people, people need to be enlightened on the challenges and benefits that will come with the new move by the administration. However, the fact that many people cannot be reached through a single communication method, the administration can consider the following communication methods. Face to Face Method This entails meeting the people directly without the use of intermediaries. This is a very effective method because the administration is assured that the message has reached the right people. In addition, the people would be given a chance to air their grievances which must be incorporated in the overall strategy so as to reduce the level of resistance. Furthermore, face-to-face communication method provides the administration with a platform to observe and note the real reaction of the people who are involved in the whole process. The people are the one to be affected by the process. As a result, they are likely to give out very crucial suggestions that may make the process to be more smooth and friendly. One of the major disadvantages of using this method of communication is that it is expensive and requires a large number of subordinates in order to pass the information to all people. The organization need to train them in order to ensure that the information passed is credible and according to the expectations of the administration. The method is also expensive. Hiring and assigning these educators is an expensive affair which might affect the overall performance of the organization (DuPré, 2010). Therefore, when it is undertaken, the administration must have considered all the other available methods of communication. Another disadvantage is that it is time consuming. The population that will be affected by the changes is very large. Reaching all of them would be a very hard task that will take time. In addition, some of the people may need more time in order to understand the whole concept. This may delay the process, an aspect that might affect its success. Therefore, other methods should be given the first priority. Print Media This is still an effective method of passing information to the people. The health care organization involved can post an advert in the local dailies. However, before this strategy is used, a research should be conducted to study which is the most commonly used paper or magazine. This would be significant in ensuring that the information reached the target population. In many cases, this information is likely to reach the old generation which is the one that commonly use this form of media. One of the disadvantages associated with the use of this media is that it is very expensive. For decades organizations have been using this media as a way to communicate easily to their stakeholders. As a result, the competition for space in this media has increased over the years. The situation has been aggravated with the entry of multinational companies in the local market. These are companies which have a huge financial base that enables them to afford the high fees being charged by the media houses. Therefore, the administrators should contemplate before channeling huge sums of money towards these media houses. It is unpredictable whether the message will reach the targeted population. Not many people can afford the daily newspaper. The fact that the health care organization is located in the rural areas complicates the issue (LearnSomething, Inc., 2006). This is because many of the residents are not financially stable. Therefore, the use of the media would only reach the elite which form the smallest segment in the population. Therefore, decision to use this media should be well thought for before being implemented. Electronic media Electronic media has hit the world by storm. The media includes a broad range of tools from email, intranets and social media. One of the benefits of the electronic media is that it will give the health care a platform to share information and update it on time. Furthermore, it reaches a very large number of people some of which might be located in different places but affected by this case. In addition, unlike other media, this method of communication gives an opportunity to the affected residents to chat directly with the organization representatives and air their grievances (DuPré, 2010). Furthermore, electronic media especially social media would give the administration a chance to conduct a research on the perception of the people towards the new move. This would be significant in understanding the best method to use in order to convince them about the new move. One of the major advantages of using this method of communication is that it is quick and reliable. Unlike the print and face-to-face methods use of electronic media takes little time. This is very important in saving time and resources. In addition, a small number of people are required to complete the whole process. In addition, with the increasing level of competition for the print, audio and visual media, social media offers a cheap alternative especially to the health care organization which is not mainly focused towards making profits. Electronic media reaches a large number of people who might be located in different parts of the country. The issue with the health care organization requires a holistic approach that will involve all people (DuPré, 2010). Social media offers a platform to interact with all people irrespective of their location. This makes it easier for the organization to pass the information. One of the disadvantages of using social media is that the largest segment that uses the media is the young generation. These are people who are less concerned about the activities that are going on in the society. As a result, the organization can only request them that once they get the information, they need to pass it to their parents and guardians. Broadcast Media This includes television and audio media. For decades, this has been the most common method of communication. As a result, many people have been using this media as their main source of information. However, great care should be taken when selecting the media house and the message to be communicated to the people (DuPré, 2010). This is to ensure that the media selected reaches the target population. Furthermore, the message selected should be well articulated in order to ensure that it does not mislead the people. Advantages of using broadcast media is that it reaches a very large population. However, it is expensive and unreliable. This is because if the selection of the media is wrong, then the target population might fail to get the information that was intended for them. The HIPAA would make it hard for the organization to choose the best media to use in communication (HIPPA health 2011). This is because the selection process is likely to affect the information confidentiality of the target population. Therefore, the organization will be held up when implementing the process. In addition, these regulations will force the organization to regulate the costs of communication. As a result, the organization might be forced to select the cheapest media which might not be effective. References DuPré, A. (2010). Communicating about health: Current issues and perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press. HIPPA health: The privacy rule and health care practice. (2011). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Health Science. LearnSomething, Inc. (2006). HIPAA security basics for the health care workforce. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Read More