Short paper-Communication Skills in the Practice of Medicine - Essay Example

Communication Skills in the Practice of Medicine Communication Skills in the Medicine Practice There are so many benefits that we could get from doctors who communicate effectively and one thing that we need to consider in the medicine practice. Communication within inter-departments of hospital is essential and is considered as core clinical skills. Thereby, inadequate communication between doctor and patient can lead the patient to distress even to their families, confusion on different diagnosis and prognosis as doctors may seem to give medical jargons, and may lead to unclear thoughts on treatment plans and management of the disease.

Through good communication skills among doctors can give benefits such as;1. Doctors can accurately identify patients problems.2. Patients are satisfied through the care, can have a better understanding to their problems, treatment options and investigations.3. Patients can adhere to treatment and can follow advise.4. Patients feeling of distress and emotional changes such as anxiety and depression are lessened.5. Doctors well being is improved. The ability to communicate effectively has an implication in patient care.

Some medical organizations has determined that the most frequent reason for complaints among patients against physicians is poor communication. Thereby, certain community groups have identified communication skills as essential component in medical practice and medical training. In order to provide a systematic approach and continuity to effective communication. The following information are recommended:1. Identification, Clarification and Values: It is said that self-awareness is a good foundation to any communication skills development.2. Case Models through Independent Community Based Inputs: Case presentations and teaching models should be critically examined to rule our unrecognized personal, cultural and professional biases and barriers.3. Socio-Economic and Status Recognition: We need to determine that root cause of ineffective communication and why there is a big differences among them.4. Cross-cultural Objectives (Inclusion and Diversity): This main relies on assessing the attitude, knowledge and skills.

Approaches There are so many factors and skills that a medical professional and a patient can use to communicate with each other. One thing that a patient is looking at to most doctors is the trust they can acquire through effective explanation of all procedures and the trust they could get from the nurses on how effective they could deliver the health care services necessary for them to feel good from any diseases. Effective communication involves continuous process between doctors and doctors; doctors and nurses; doctors and patients; patients and nurses.

Set skills are essential in order to implement it with confidence. Normally, the process starts with interviewing the patient by introducing self (doctor) and by simply doing an interactive line of questioning to the patient and assessment of the nature of complaint. At times, doctors can depend on facilitation movements specially for patients whos language is not the doctors language but the danger of merely relying on facilitation could be detrimental as this may cause incorrect diagnosis.

Facilitations are done through eye contact, posture, gesture or even silence. Doctor to doctor communication varies from one another depending on the nature of the patients disease. Most oftentimes, doctors can only communicate with co-doctors if he or she will be endorsing the patient for further evaluation. Doctors speak with nurses if he needs something to be executed to the patient such as endorsing the type of drug, its administration and follow through on patient care. Nurse to patient communication should only be facilitated through follow up on patients response to the given medication.

ReferencesFallowfield, L. & Jenkins, V. (1999). Effective communication skills are the key to good cancer care. European Journal of Cancer, 35(11), Retrieved from http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959804999002129Maguire, P. & Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them. British Medical Journal, Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/325/7366/697 doi: 10.1136/bmj.325.7366.697(2008). Communication skills training within the faculty of medicine.

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