HEALTH COMMUNICATION BARRIERS:

Barriers:

“An obstacle in a place that prevents us from completing certain tasks”

Communication barriers “can be defined as the aspects or conditions that interfere with
effective exchange of ideas or thoughts”

Problems with communication occur when the way in which we express ourselves is not fully
understood and appreciated by those we want to communicate with.

Some of these differences are within our control, others are not, and being forewarned about
such obstacles influences how successful your communications will be.

Types of communication barriers:

Although the barriers to effective communication may be different for different situations, the
following are some of the main barriers:

 Linguistic Barriers
 Psychological Barriers
 Emotional Barriers
 Physical Barriers
 Cultural Barriers
 Organisational Structure Barriers
  Attitude Barriers
 Perception Barriers
 Physiological Barriers
 Technological barriers
 Socio-religious barriers

1. Organizational Barriers

The barriers that generate from within the organization are known as organizational barriers
may be of the following types:

 Negative organizational climate:

The main aspect of organizational climate that acts as communication barrier is the
negative attitude of top management. Negative attitude of top management
discourages communication initiative of the employees.

 Absence of communication policy:

Well-designed communication policy encourages communication in the organization. In

the absence of such policies, employees fail hesitate to communicate.

 Excessive authority layers:

Excessive authority layers acts as a severe impediment to successful communication. In

the case of excessive authority impediment to successful communication. In the case of
excessive authority layers, information reaches to its final destination passing through
several hierarchical levels. As a result, information may be distorted or lost. Excessive
authority layers also cause a delay in communication.
  Filtering:

Filtering implies a willful distortion of information. This problem usually arises in upward
communication. In upward communication, employees tend to pass only those
messages that create a positive impression about them.

2. Individual Barriers

Barriers created by the sender and receiver are known as individual barriers. Such barriers
include the following:

 Differences in personality:

Personality is the set of attributes that define a person. Every person holds a distinct
personality. This individual nature of personality acts as a barrier to communication.

 Perceptual differences:

Perception is the unique way in which people respond or interpret an object. The
difference in perception is a very common problem in effective communication.

 Fear:

Fear of reprisal or attack, fear of criticism for knowing very little, etc. may create a
problem in communication.

 Stereotyping:

Stereotyping is generalizing about a class of people or events that is widely held by a

given culture. In case of stereotyping, people develop communication statements and
mindsets about others. This orientation exposes itself in such statements and mindsets.
For example, “All used car salesmen are dishonest,” or “All foreign recruiting agents are
liars.” Such all-inclusive perceptions not only are seldom correct but they also block
mental activity that is necessary for successful communication.

 Halo Effect:

The halo effect is the tendency to use a general impression based on one or a few
characteristics to judge other characteristics of that same individual. For example, a
manager might identify one trait of an employee, such as an excellent attendance
record, and perceive that the employee’s productivity and quality of work must also be
outstanding.

 Inattention:
 Sometimes communication does not reach due to the inattention of the receiver. Such
inattention may result from busyness, lack of interest about subject, suffering from
disease or family problem etc.

3. Language or Semantic Barrier

 A common barrier to effective communication is semantic distortion, which can be

deliberate or accidental. A semantic problem arises when words and symbols have
different meanings for different people that lead to a misunderstanding.

For example, an advertisement states, “we sell for less.” It is ambiguous and raises the
question: less than what?

Other Barriers

The following factors also act as the barrier to effective communication:

 Information Overload:

Information overload may also be a problem of effective communication. Information

overload is the situation when a person is given too much information at a time.

 Faulty expression:

Faulty expression of message fails to convey exact meaning to the receiver. It happens
due to lack of clarity, use of vague terms, badly expressed information, an improper
organization of ideas, etc.

 Status or power difference:

Communication problem may arise when people of different power or status try to
communicate with each other.

 Negative attitudes to change:

Some people always resist any kind of change in the organization. They think that ‘old is
good, and are fearful about the changes. Therefore, they create problems in
communication through inattention, false interpretation, rumor, resistance and non-
cooperation.

 Noise:
Environment factors may also disrupt effective communication. One such factor is noise.
For example, in oral communication, noise hiders smooth flow of information or
message. In factories, loud noise of machines makes oral communication very difficult.
 Dissatisfaction or Disinterest with One’s Job:
This barrier, is perhaps the most difficult to overcome because it involves changing a
mindset, and thus it typically doesn’t change until the person leaves. If a person is
unhappy or has lost interest in his job, he is far less likely to communicate effectively –
both on the giving and receiving ends. In other words, his heart isn’t in it.

 Inability to Listen to Others:

Active listening is an important aspect of effective communication. A person cannot

engage with someone if he is not listening to them because he will tend to make
assumptions about their needs based on his perceptions versus reality.

 Lack of Transparency & Trust:

It is extremely difficult to communicate anything when there is a lack of transparency

and trust. For example, if a manager’s staff believes that he is holding something back,
they will be anxious, some will speculate, and as a result, it will be more difficult for
them to process any attempt that he makes to communicate with them.

 Communication Styles (when they differ):

Everyone has their own communication style. Some people are very direct while others
prefer a more indirect approach. Some use detailed data, while others rely on
generalities, and so forth. Occasionally, one person is so entrenched in his way of
communicating; he finds it difficult to communicate with others who rely on a different
style.

 Conflicts in the Workplace:

Conflict can happen for a variety of reasons and when it does, it becomes a barrier to
effective communication. The nature of the conflict is not necessarily important, what is
important is working to resolve the conflict. When conflict is not eradicated, it grows
and then people begin to take sides, which further impede effective communication.

 Cultural Differences & Language:

It is important to understand the cultural differences in communication. The cultural

differences can occur within the boundaries of a country, and when one does not
recognize cultural differences, they can offend the other person. It is in the offense that
communication breaks down.

 Psychological Barriers:
 There are various mental and psychological issues that may be barriers to effective
communication. Some people have stage fear, speech disorders, phobia, depression etc.
All of these conditions are very difficult to manage sometimes and will most certainly
limit the ease of communication.

 Emotional Barriers:

The emotional IQ of a person determines the ease and comfort with which they can
communicate. A person who is emotionally mature will be able to communicate
effectively. On the other hand, people who let their emotions take over will face certain
difficulties.

 Physical Barriers to Communication:

They are the most obvious barriers to effective communication. These barriers are most
easily removable in principle at least. They include barriers like noise, closed doors,
faulty equipment used for communication, closed cabins, etc.

 Perception Barriers: Different people perceive the same things differently. This is a fact
which we must consider during the communication process. Knowledge of the
perception levels of the audience is crucial to effective communication. All the messages
or communiqué must be easy and clear. There shouldn’t be any room for a diversified
interpretational set.

 Physiological Barriers: Certain disorders or diseases or other limitations could also

prevent effective communication between the various channels of an organization. The
shrillness of voice, dyslexia, etc. is some examples of physiological barriers to effective
communication.

Communication barriers in healthcare: