Working in healthcare, chances are you were gifted with strong communication skills, or like me, you have had to work on strengthening at least one or some aspects of your communication skills to be the most efficient communicator you can be.
Being a patient-facing clinician, you will almost constantly be in a state of communication with a patient, caregiver, family members, or other healthcare provider. Communication styles must be adapted to various clinical settings, such as hospitals or long-term care, to ensure effective interactions. So, it really helps to hone in on your communication skills in order to provide the most optimal care and treatment you can.
There is much out there on communication and communication styles that it can be overwhelming to even begin to self-reflect on your own communication habits and style. So, let’s look at some basics in regards to communication that will help you succeed as a clinician. Common communication barriers, such as language differences or cultural misunderstandings, can significantly impact patient care and lead to communication breakdowns. Using communication techniques, such as open-ended questions, can encourage patients to participate in their care.
- Listening – practice active listening like paraphrasing what your communication partner has said, waiting to disclose your opinion, or validating concerns.
- Nonverbal – be mindful of what your body language is conveying to your audience. Pay attention to your eye contact and what that might mean from a cultural standpoint. Also be aware of your communication partner’s nonverbal communications. Developing nonverbal communication skills, such as interpreting gestures and posture, is essential. Recognizing nonverbal communication cues and non verbal communication can enhance your interactions. Effective non verbal communication builds patient trust and improves patient outcomes.
- Clarity and concision – is what you are saying clear and direct or is it too vague or the message implied? These things can impact your communication exchange with your partner.
- Respect – show your respect for your communication partner’s messages by demonstrating active listening skills and appropriate nonverbal signals. With written communication exchanges, show your respect by proof-reading what you have written to make sure it isn’t sloppy or your message is unclear. Mutual respect is a key component of patient centered care and helps foster trust in healthcare relationships.
Now, back to communication styles. After two decades of research Mark Murphy, A New York Times best-selling author, came to the conclusion that there are four communication styles that people can fall into: analytical, intuitive, functional, and personal. Here are the basics: Understanding different communication styles and communication patterns in healthcare is significant for effective teamwork and patient care.
- Analytical – loves facts, hard data, unemotional, logical thinker; likes specific language
- Intuitive – big picture thinker; likes to be quick and to the point; typically does not like step-by-step information
- Functional – enjoys detail, time-lines, and well-thought out plans; enjoys step-by-step communication; can be stuck in the details
- Personal – values emotional language and connections/relationships; often thinks in feelings or emotions; the relationship is more important than the information exchange
Therapeutic communication techniques are essential tools for building trust and rapport with patients.
Let’s take some time to think about communicating with your co-workers, patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals. To be an efficient communicator, it is important to read the audience. You need to try and interpret what your communication partner’s communication style is. Recognizing and managing aggressive communication and aggressive communication style in healthcare interactions is also important to maintain a safe and respectful environment. Using communication strategies tailored to the patient's needs and context can improve the effectiveness of your interactions.
So, if you are speaking with a parent who just recently found out his child is diagnosed with cancer and this parent is an analytical thinker, then it may be best to approach this with facts and hard data. Verbal communication is crucial in ensuring clarity and understanding in these discussions.
However, given the same scenario but the other parent is a personal communicator, then using facts and hard data may not be the best way to effectively communicate your plan of care. Rather, it may be a better approach to utilize your therapeutic relationship and active listening skills to convey your message. This can be especially tricky if your communication style is opposing to your communication partner’s style of communication. Adapting your communication style can improve health outcomes and patient outcomes.
When explaining complex information, patient education and the use of plain language are important to enhance health literacy. Incorporating visual aids can further support patient understanding and retention of information.
“It is important to be mindful and adaptable in order to shift your mode of communication in order to effectively transmit your information to your patient, caregiver, or co-worker.”
Another huge aspect of communication is active listening.
Active listening is a non-verbal skill that shows your communication partner that you are present and care about the information being shared with you. This process in communication can often get skipped over in a busy, chaotic healthcare setting which can lead to a communication breakdown or loss of trust. Another way to lose engagement and buy-in from a communication partner can be when we use company lingo or medical jargon. You can distill complex thoughts and medical information into simple, clear ideas to most effectively translate your messages without using medical jargon or company lingo. Keeping your message real and authentic helps your communication trust you, listen to what you have to say, and retain that information.
Having difficulty educating your patients or getting patient buy-in? Perhaps the way you are conveying your message isn’t easy for the patient to understand. Ensuring patient understanding is crucial—use clear communication and teach-back methods to confirm that patients comprehend their health conditions, treatments, and care plans. It is easy for clinicians to think we are breaking information into simple ideas, but often we are not as effective as we may think. Since we are experts in our field, it can be challenging to explain complex medical conditions or interventions into easy to understand ideas (I often think about how challenging it can be to explain something as abstract how sensory processing disorder feels to parents). A strategy I like to use are analogies for patients and caregivers to draw connections as to why this intervention is important.
Communication is fluid and can always be improved upon. In being an effective communicator, is important to be self-reflective because this allows you to modify your behavior so you can more effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas. Remember, communication is a skill that we can always fine tune with practice!
Maintaining Patient Confidentiality
Maintaining patient confidentiality is one of the most fundamental responsibilities for healthcare professionals. In every healthcare setting, effective communication skills are not just about sharing information—they’re also about knowing what, when, and how to communicate to protect patient privacy. Whether you’re discussing a treatment plan with a patient, consulting with other healthcare providers, or even using electronic communication tools, it’s essential to ensure that sensitive information is only shared with those who are authorized.
Both verbal and nonverbal communication play a significant role in safeguarding patient confidentiality. For example, healthcare providers should always be mindful of their surroundings when speaking about a patient’s health—conversations should take place in private areas, away from other patients or visitors. Even nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions or body language, can inadvertently reveal confidential information if not carefully managed. A simple gesture or glance can sometimes communicate more than intended, so being aware of nonverbal cues is just as important as choosing your words wisely.
In addition, healthcare professionals must be cautious when using written or electronic communication, such as emails or secure messaging systems, to ensure that patient information is transmitted securely and only to those who need to know. Protecting patient confidentiality also means being vigilant about who is present during discussions, and using clear and concise communication to avoid misunderstandings that could lead to accidental disclosures.
Ultimately, strong communication skills and a commitment to confidentiality go hand in hand. By practicing effective verbal and nonverbal communication, healthcare providers can build trust with patients, foster a safe environment, and uphold the ethical standards that are essential to quality patient care.
