Improving Communication Skills In Medical Education: Strategies And Benefits

The Role of Non-technical Skills in Medical Education

Question:

Discuss about the Improving Communication Skills And Abilities.

Medical education is the branch of medical science which is related to imparting sufficient technical and non-technical skills to a registered medical practitioner for catering to the various health requirements of the patients. Apart from the technical skills the medical education also covers the non-technical aspects which further helps in understanding the care concerns and the individual needs of the support users. The current assignment takes into consideration the non-technical aspects of medical education. For the current study we have taken into consideration the communication skills or approaches implemented within an acute hospital setting. The communication is an indispensable component for the proper implementation of policies and procedures within a hospital set up.

The current assignment focuses on designing training for junior doctors for improving their communication skills and abilities. The development of communication tactics helps a health care professional in sending clear and concise information across the channel. This further helps in the implementation of informed decision making where concise and clear messages are shared with the patients and their respective family members regarding the care policies and procedures. In this context, inefficiency in speaking up certain languages can act as a major hindrance in understanding the major distresses of the patients.

A number of learning objectives could be designed based upon the requirements of the service professionals. Some of the learning objectives have been enumerated below as follows:

The patient and their respective families need to be made a part of the care plans and designing process.  This provides sufficient autonomy to the patients and their respective families where they could equally participate in the health support programmes. As commented by Gordon et al. (2012), the implementation of the right to decision making forms the very foundation of a health care setting. The breach or the violation of any such rights can invite legal actions against the health care providers.

Effective communication need to be implemented within a group for understanding and designing of effective strategies for provision of proper care to the patients. However as argued by Lewis et al. (2012), often geographical or language differences can act as hindrances. This prevents active exchange of information within a healthcare team. Therefore, active communication needs to be supported within a group by formulating effective communication goals and strategies.

The development of interpersonal communication skills are centred on learning different body languages for communicating effectively with the patient and their respective families. This can help the junior doctors communicate easily with the patients and also enhance the bond of trust between the doctors and the patients. As mentioned by Akaike  et al.(2012), use of friendly gestures helps a healthcare professional in comprehending the complex health care requirements of the patients.

Designing Training for Junior Doctors

The junior doctors need to communicate in a formal manner with the patients and their respective families. This helps them in developing an understanding relationship with the support users and their attendants.  For the purpose of initiating a formal communication easy and effective languages should be used. As commented by White (2012), examples and video presentations may be used by the registered professionals for communicating to the patients the benefits of a particular medical approach.

Effective communication strategies within an acute hospital set up are important for figuring out the patient dilemmas or the barriers faced by the patient. As commented by Nicksa  et al.(2015), the expression of a caring attitude within a health care set up can have a huge impact on the development of an effective bond of trust between the providers of health care and patients. In this respect, a number of evidence based strategies could be applied for setting up of an effective communication channels with the patients. Some of the programs which have been discussed over here are ‘The language of Caring for staff’.

The mentioned program helps in achieving favourable outcomes such as improvement in patient care, ensuring the safety of patients, improving CHAPS Score  and the establishing the mission of the organization. The program is based upon the development of a common language for communicating with the staff as well as the patients. As asserted by Cook and West (2012), the program puts the employees as potential contributors who further help in creating an environment of favourable culture and community. The implementation of the program in the training process advocates some of the effective communication practices such as hourly rounds, greeting protocols and supporting whiteboard conversations.

For the process of training development a number of numbers of assessment tools could be used such as SBAR. The SBAR tool refers to situation, background, assessment and recommendation and could be used to facilitate appropriate and prompt communication. The SBAR tool could be applied within a hospital set up for the purpose of effectively structuring a communication.  The SBAR tool helps in analysing the situation and background within an acute hospital set up. As argued by Yule et al. (2015), the language differences often becomes a huge limitation in the path of delivery of effective health and care services. Additionally, the presence of cultural paradoxes often hinders free and easy exchange of information between the health care providers and the patients. Therefore, such assessment helps in understanding the limitations faced by the patients within an acute hospital set up. The designing of such programs helps in finding out suitable recommendations for coping up with the difficulties faced in provision of health care services to patients from different geographical and cultural boundaries.

Learning Objectives for Efficient Communication in Health Care

For the purpose of providing the staff with effective communication skills training or workshops could be conducted within the hospices. The focus should be provided on the development of a common language which the staffs are able to understand. This further enhances the equality of care services by encouraging utmost communication within the staffs which helps in the free exchange of information. As argued by Burford (2012), differences of opinion are often found within the workers of an acute health care set up. Therefore, the provision of a standardized communication interface can help in the exchange of needful information which are vital for the designing of effective care plans.

A number of benefits could be obtained by the implementation of such training programs within an acute hospital set up. The implementation of the program helps in the establishment of a care and trust worthy environment. As commented by Yoo and Park (2015), this facilitates the process of care delivery within a health care setting and prevents the chances of disputes. The implementation of the ‘Language of caring for staffs’ helps in providing sufficient power and autonomy to the support s users by providing them sufficient space, where most of their demands are attended to. The inculcation of such training methods helps in the development of effective communication bond within the service users and the service providers. This helps in the development of a sense of satisfaction in the support users towards the hospital and the care services. As commented by Stevens et al. (2013), the use of such communication strategies helps in providing additional support care to the ones suffering from cognitive impairments.  For example the ones suffering from dementia or other psychological disorders are more so dependent on the care service providers. This is because their logical thinking and decision making skills are affected. Therefore, the implementation of empathetic communication approaches helps in understanding the complex care concerns of such patients.

Additionally, the implementation of a common language helps in negotiating with a huge number of patients and health care staffs within an acute hospital setup. The establishment of the method helps in ensuring that the geographical and the language barriers are taken into consideration for the purpose of delivery of care services to the support users. As commented by Robinson and Dearmon (2013), the method employs the use of friendly and effective body languages for catering to the care concerns of the patients and the support carers as well. The implementation of the basic and communication skills such as hourly rounds by the hospital staffs, friendly greetings. Some of these practices help in maintaining a positive work culture within the hospital environment. As commented by Liton (2012), maintaining a positive work culture helps in potential employee retention. The implementation of the program needs sufficient cooperation and participation from the hospital staff and employees.  A prior knowledge regarding the implementation of such programs needs to be provided to the hospital staff. As commented by Kitchen (2012), organizing of educational seminars can be helpful in providing sufficient clearance to the hospital staffs regrading the method of effective communication. The organizing of such seminars also helps in implementation of precautionary measures within a clinical set up.

Effective Communication within a Group

Reports and evidences have suggested that communication   gap between the physicians and the support users can result in obstacles in the care delivery processes. Therefore, as commented by Nicksa  et al. (2015), efficient communication approaches could help in the establishment of optimum health standards of the support users. In this respect, a formative and summative evaluation of the communication skills can be done for deciphering the loopholes within the implemented communication tactics and approaches. The formative assessment methods could be used for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the learning approaches inculcated in the training session of the junior doctors (Lund et al. 2012). The formative assessment is informal in approaches and is often integrated within the course curriculum (Frich et al. 2015).

The conducting of such assessments helps in identifying the loopholes and designing new communication approaches and skills. The summative assessment is much broader in its scope and nature of approach. This particular method of assessment helps in identification of the incompetent health care providers. Thus, the implementation of such method helps in enhancing the quality and standards of the health care services. The summative assessment is much more comprehensive in nature whereby the overall skills possessed by a health care professional are taken into consideration. The evaluative process helps in addressing the knowledge and the level of skills possessed by the health care professionals. Some of the effective practices such as mini clinical evaluation exercises has becomes a useful tool to analyse the performance of the health care providers.

Conclusion

The current assignment focuses on the use and efficiency of communication aspects within a hospital setting. The learning and implementation of the effective communication skills helps in understanding the grievances faced by the patients more effectively. However, for the inculcation of appropriate communication approaches and policies within a hospital set up sufficient amount of training and development is required.  A number of communication development skills have been discussed in the present context such as the SBAR tool and the language of caring for staff. The communication methods not only help in the management and prevention of disputes within a hospital set up. However, the inculcation of empathetic methods also helps in controlling the ethical barriers.

Additionally, the implementation of the communication methods and approaches also helps dealing with a huge number of restrictions within an acute hospital set up. The inculcation of friendly body languages helps in connecting better with the patients and their respective families. The assignment also takes into consideration the summative and formative assessments which helps in understanding the loopholes within the training and development processes. Therefore, formulation of the communication plan and objectives helps optimum delivery of the health and support care services.

References

Akaike, M., Fukutomi, M., Nagamune, M., Fujimoto, A., Tsuji, A., Ishida, K. and Iwata, T., (2012). Simulation-based medical education in clinical skills laboratory. The Journal of Medical Investigation, 59(1, 2), 28-35.

Burford, B., (2012). Group processes in medical education: learning from social identity theory. Medical education, 46(2), 143-152.

Cook, D.A. and West, C.P., (2012). Conducting systematic reviews in medical education: a stepwise approach. Medical education, 46(10), 943-952.

Frich, J.C., Brewster, A.L., Cherlin, E.J. and Bradley, E.H., (2015). Leadership development programs for physicians: a systematic review. Journal of general internal medicine, 30(5), 656-674.

Gordon, M., Darbyshire, D. and Baker, P., (2012). Non?technical skills training to enhance patient safety: a systematic review. Medical education, 46(11), 1042-1054.

Kitchen, M., (2012). Facilitating small groups: how to encourage student learning. The clinical teacher, 9(1), 3-8.

Lewis, R., Strachan, A. and Smith, M.M., (2012). Is high fidelity simulation the most effective method for the development of non-technical skills in nursing? A review of the current evidence. The open nursing journal, 82.

Liton, H.A., (2012). Developing EFL Teaching and Learning Practices in Saudi Colleges: A Review. Online Submission, 5(2), 129-152.

Lund, F., Schultz, J.H., Maatouk, I., Krautter, M., Möltner, A., Werner, A., Weyrich, P., Jünger, J. and Nikendei, C., (2012). Effectiveness of IV cannulation skills laboratory training and its transfer into clinical practice: a randomized, controlled trial. PloS one, 7(3), 32831.

Nicksa, G.A., Anderson, C., Fidler, R. and Stewart, L., (2015). Innovative approach using interprofessional simulation to educate surgical residents in technical and nontechnical skills in high-risk clinical scenarios. JAMA surgery, 150(3), 201-207.

Robinson, B.K. and Dearmon, V., (2013). Evidence-based nursing education: Effective use of instructional design and simulated learning environments to enhance knowledge transfer in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(4), 203-209.

Stevens, D.D. and Levi, A.J., (2013). Introduction to rubrics: An assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective feedback, and promote student learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

White, N., (2012). Understanding the role of non-technical skills in patient safety. Nursing Standard, 26(26), 43-48.

Yoo, M.S. and Park, H.R., (2015). Effects of case?based learning on communication skills, problem?solving ability, and learning motivation in nursing students. Nursing & health sciences, 17(2), 166-172.

Yule, S., Parker, S.H., Wilkinson, J., McKinley, A., MacDonald, J., Neill, A. and McAdam, T., (2015). Coaching non-technical skills improves surgical residents’ performance in a simulated operating room. Journal of surgical education, 72(6), 1124-1130.