what is written communication ?

-Written communication in healthcare is the use of written forms to record, inform, and
request information related to health and social care. It is vital for different purposes, such as
keeping medical records, issuing prescriptions, creating letters, and communicating with clients
and professionals. It can also improve the relationship between clients and health care
organisations and systems, and enhance the patient’s role and decision making abilities. Some
common forms of written communication are referral and discharge letters

Why Is Communication Important in Health Care?

Healthcare leaders understand that effective communication in healthcare organizations starts
with recognizing the importance of listening to one another.
Collectively, medical professionals have a wealth of knowledge and expertise. That wellspring
goes untapped when providers rush from one appointment to the next without allowing
themselves time to listen and communicate effectively with patients, when patients feel unsafe,
when care teams store medical information improperly, or when health organizations fail to
employ interpreters for cross-cultural communications.
Skillful communication is essential to health care. Clear, honest communication between patient
and provider paves the way for accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions. Similarly, clear,
confidential communication between members of a care team (which often includes patients and
multiple providers) results in swiftly and ethically delivered care without breaching
confidentiality.
Providers can help patients feel heard, ease their fears, and encourage them to disclose relevant
information. For example, a patient who feels embarrassed about a pubic rash will likely feel
more safe mentioning this to a provider who they know will treat them with compassion and a
professional demeanor

Why is effective communication needed in health and social care?

Effective communication within health and social care settings is very important because it can
have a direct, or indirect, impact on the health and social care provided, the overall wellbeing of
the patient and on the relationships with patients, family members or colleagues. Many people
may have difficulties in understanding information provided because of language barriers,
limited literacy, physical conditions (such as brain damage) or age. Admission to a nursing
home, a foster care home or health facility is a stressful event that involves a noticeable change
in lifestyle that requires support. Those affected by a disease are often overwhelmed by fear for
their own health and can become irritable, and therefore need reassurance from others.

But why are effective communication skills so important in health and social care?
  Effective communication enables:
 The exchange of clear information and instructions on care needs.
 The provision of direct (or indirect) emotional support to the patient (or family members)
or colleagues.
 The development of positive relationships.
How to promote effective communication
Communication skills are a top priority for health and social care workers. For this reason they
are usually required to go through some specific training on the subject. In order to promote
effective communication in health and social care settings it is fundamental to consider that this
environment can be the source of anxiety and fear for patients.
For different reasons:
 Worries about health and life.
 Distance from family and daily habits.
 Noises.
 Considerable limitation of personal space and privacy.
 Impersonal and cold environment.

Patients usually react to this environment with the same behaviour used in any other situation of
anxiety and stress, and for some individuals who are very emotional, they may need more time to
decrease their anxiety to acceptable levels.
For these reasons, to ensure efficient communication, health and social care workers must
understand the difficulties that patients face in adapting to their new environment and support
them using different strategies, such as:
Listening to the patients and creating some space to let them vent their emotions.
Reassuring and calming patients in moments of fear.
Helping patients to stay active and facilitate connection with others, if applicable, to prevent
isolation.
Supporting patients in this phase is key to creating a safe environment in which they are ready to
pay attention to any form of clear communication related to their care and what is being done in
the facility for them.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
 1. Verbal communication, which involves speaking and listening.
2. Non-verbal communication, which involves body language and gestures.
3. Written communication, which involves documents and messages.
4. Formal communication, which follows rules and protocols.

Provider-to-provider communication systems, which enable information sharing among healthcare

professionals.

Verbal communication

Even if the patient and the health and social care worker speak the same language, sometimes, what is
clear for the health and social worker is difficult to understand by the patient or the family members.
Health and social care workers are often so overwhelmed by the demands of their work that they rush
the conversation, they do not create space for questions or do not take time to ensure the message is
being understood Effective communication is a crucial aspect of healthcare. It involves the exchange of
information between healthcare providers and patients through various channels, including verbal
communication. Verbal communication is the use of spoken words to convey information, ideas, and
emotions . In healthcare, verbal communication is used by healthcare providers to explain medical
procedures, provide health education, and offer emotional support to patients

NON-VERBAL

-Non-verbal communication is the use of body language, gestures, facial expressions, and other cues to
convey emotions and messages . It is a two-way street between patients and healthcare providers, and
it can have many benefits for patient care . Non-verbal communication can help providers to become
more aware, increase intimacy, improve empathy, and improve compassion when having conversations
with patients. It can also help providers probe a little deeper and not rely only on verbal responses

FORMAL COMMUNICATION
Formal communication is often found in hospital policies and documents. This type of communication
can be very rigid, leaving little or no room for feedback or deviation. Health care workers use formal
communication when explaining hospital policies to patients and their families. Formal communication
is a style of speaking that is used in professional or official settings using neutral words which are
understood by the majority of people and expressed in a way that is considered acceptable and
respectful by the majority.

Communications within health and social care settings may include sensitive information such as illness
diagnosis, treatments or care needs. It is therefore fundamental that this type of information is clearly
understood and respected.

An example of formal communication within health and social care settings is a letter from a doctor
including test results.

The degree of formality that health and social care workers are required to keep depends on the
circumstances. For example, a doctor discussing a diagnosis with a patient and their family members will
require a level of formality higher than that used by the care assistant encouraging a patient to eat some
food.

For formal communication to be effective within health and social care settings it is important to avoid
jargon or, if it is necessary to use technical language, it may be helpful to add images or pictograms to
get the point across and ensure the language used is understood

Barriers to Communication in Health Care

Communication is foundational to all layers of the healthcare system, but it’s often problematic.
Fortunately, professionals in this field can take steps to overcome many common barriers to effective
communication in health care.

Patient Distrust and Discomfort

At the patient-provider level, patients may not feel comfortable disclosing sensitive information, such as
substance misuse or sexual dysfunction, to their care providers.

Patients withhold medical information for many reasons:

 They feel intimidated by their provider.

 They believe their provider won’t listen to them.

 They feel disrespected by the request to disclose.

 They question medical advice in general.

 They struggle with physical or psychological trauma.

Common Language Barriers

Patients often have difficulty communicating needs or symptoms when their provider does not speak
their language or when the healthcare organization has not supplied an interpreter.
Healthcare organizations that don’t prioritize culturally competent care (including the use of interpreters
to bridge communication gaps between patients and providers) fall short in delivering adequate support to
their communities.

Providers Stretched Too Thin

Skillful communication enables healthcare providers to establish rapport with their patients, solicit crucial
health information, and work effectively with all members of a care team and the public. However, a
packed clinical workday often requires providers to rush from appointment to appointment — resulting in
conditions in which communication can easily get lost in the shuffle.
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers who come across as cold or aloof damage the patient-
provider relationship. Providers who signal disinterest or distraction when talking with patients may lose
the goodwill and trust of the very people they seek to help.
Fortunately, evidence-based strategies for communication in health care can keep communication
streamlined. Even a few extra minutes of communication can result in more efficient healthcare delivery
for all.

Mismanaged Healthcare Files

With the growing amount of healthcare data, care teams have expanded in number and reach. Dozens of
doctors, nurses, administrators, and other medical professionals at a hospital may all need to read a single
patient file — opening the door to potential miscommunications that can affect treatment.
Providers and administrators need to work hard to ensure that healthcare information stays confidential,
accessible only to the necessary parties of a care team. Controlling how many individuals can access
confidential patient information helps healthcare teams communicate accurately and clearly and limits
misunderstandings or communication breakdowns.
.
In addition, every person deserves to understand the medical care they receive. That means that healthcare
organizations may need to do better to train and hire interpreters so that patients can give their informed
consent to treatment.