ASSIGNMENT 001- EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Assessment Number 001

Assessment Type (and Presentation (10/15mins) (60%)
weighting)
Assessment Name Effective Communication in Health and Social Care
Assessment Submission Date Submission of Assignment 001 Individual Presentation:
20th March 2023 (before 23:59 UK Time)

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 Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................3

COMMUNICATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE.................................................................4

COMMUNICATION PROCESS...........................................................................................5

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION..........................................................................................6

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE.................7

BARRIERS TO THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS.......................................................8

CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................10

REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................11

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INTRODUCTION

The transmission or transfer of knowledge, concepts, or ideas from one person to another or
from one location to another is seen as a crucial feature of communication. This is being
described as a crucial procedure that will encourage significant mental engagement amongst
various people. Through this process, meanings are recognized and a person's comprehension
is elevated to the highest possible level. Here, two or more individuals communicate
information, concepts, ideas, views, and even feelings. One way to think about
communication is as a process where specific information is sent from one person to another.
Understanding and responding to the information being delivered is the basic goal of
communication. Thus this presentation includes the importance of communication for an
individual. It will also highlight the complete communication process that has been followed
by an individual further the report will indulge the importance of communication in
healthcare as well as the social sector. It will also include the barriers that are present with
communication and its involvement do an individual. Hence this presentation will help in
knowing the effective ways in which the communication process can be conducted and the
ways through which the barriers could be eradicated.

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COMMUNICATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Communication is considered as an important aspect that includes the exchange or passing of

information, idea, or thoughts from one person to another or from a particular place to
another. This is being explained as an important process that will indulge a meaningful
interaction of thoughts between different human beings. Through this process, the meanings
are perceived and the understanding of an individual is increased to a maximum extent. Here
the exchange of facts, ideas, thoughts, opinions, as well as emotions takes place between two
or more people. Communication can be understood as a process where the passing of certain
information from one person to another takes place (Pokrovskaia et al., 2021). The main
purpose of communication is to understand and respond to the information that has been
passed. The concern an individual wants to convey to another should be understood by the
other person and the purpose of the communication should be solved. In a particular
organization or sector communication plays an important role in the flow of information and
understanding between different departments and media. Communication helps in removing
misunderstandings and providing clarity of thoughts and expression for people. To educate a
certain individual this may be in different forms. Communication can also help in developing
the relationship that is present between people and this encourages individuals to enhance
social networking across the globe. The evolution of technology has made communication
and its process more efficient there are various social media platforms that help in networking
and communication of an individual with others (Krizanova et al., 2019). This has made
individuals from different geographical regions communicate with each other. Platforms such
as WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and others. This is where millions of individuals
are present on the platforms and the process of communication has become easier.

Importance

1. Communication acts as a base for any action that is taking place. Every activity
begins with communication and this brings information that is required to begin the
activity.
2. Communication effectively facilitates the process of planning for an individual. It
forms a basis for any certain planning that an organization or a person is making.
3. Communication is considered the means of coordination and efforts that various
people put into working and interacting with other individuals. Communication skills

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 in a certain individual can make him an effective leader and thus lead the team
efficiently.
4. Communication can also indulge confidence and boost the motivation of an
individual. It can avoid misunderstanding and remove the barriers that are present
between two or more individuals.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

The communication process is a dynamic procedure that will start with the basic
conceptualization of ideas that are sent by the senders who transmits them through different
channels that are available to the receiver (Zito et al., 2021). Further, the receiver, in turn,
gives feedback in the form of certain signals or messages within a given time frame. The
communication process includes seven major elements. These elements are been mentioned
below

Sender: Sender is the communicator or an individual who initiates the conversation of a

certain idea that he wants to convey to the receiver.

Encoding: Encoding is the first step where the sender begins. Here the sender uses several
words or nonverbal methods of communication such as body gestures, symbols, signals, and
others to convert the information in a message. Knowledge, skill, perception, background,
competencies, and other factors of the sender has a vital impact on the success of the
information or message that is being shared.

Message: The message is the next step after encoding. The sender gets the message that is
been intended to convey. This message can be symbolic, oral, written, or nonverbal such as
signs, sounds, silence, gestures, and others that trigger the response of a certain receiver.

Communication channel: Further the sender chooses a certain medium through which he
wants to convey the message to the receiver. It is important that the sender selects effective
communication channels that can correctly interpret the message that is being sent to the
receiver. This choice of medium depends on the interpersonal relationship that the sender has
with the receivers. This also depends on the urgency of the message that is needed to be sent.

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Receiver: the receiver is an individual to whom the message is focused or targeted on. The
receiver tries to comprehend the message in the different possible manner such that the
objectives of the communication are being attended. The degree to which the receiver tends
to decode the message that is sent depends on the knowledge, experience, trust, and
relationship that the receiver has.

Decoding: decoding is where the receiver interprets the message that has been sent by the
sender and thus tries to understand it in an appropriate manner (Odinokaya et al., 2019). The
success of the communication process depends majorly on the decoding and understanding of
the message that is being sent by the sender to the receiver.

Feedback: This is considered as the final step of the communication process. This ensures
that the receiver has received the message and interpreted it in a correct manner. It increases
the effectiveness of communication as it allows the sender to know the impact of his message
and the response that is being given by the receiver which can be verbal or nonverbal.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Verbal: verbal communication is a method that will utilize speech in the form of speaking in
order to convey a particular information or message to the receiver. It is one of the most
popular and effective modes of communication that is usually used during phone calls,
presentations, one to one conversations, meetings, video conferences, and others. This ends to
support both non-verbal as well as written communication efficiently.

Non-verbal: nonverbal communication is a practice that includes different forms such as

facial expressions, body language, gestures, and others in order to send information. This can
be implemented intentionally as well as unintentionally. This can be conveyed in different
forms for example an individual can smile intentionally when he tends to hear an interesting
piece of information or likes a certain idea.

Written: written communication is concerned with the practices such as typing, printing,
symbols, numbers, and letters as well as writings to send a certain piece of information to the
receiver. Several times it is also being used to record information for reference as well as
evidence purposes in the future (Adnan and Ahmad, 2020). To generalize this style of writing
in communication is considered vital. These are basically used in pamphlets, books, blogs,
mostly letters, and others in order to spread information. E-mail could also be a common
example of written communication that takes place.

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Visual: these are the utilization of photographs, sketches, graphs, charts, and drawings in
order to spread certain information to the receiver. This is majorly used during the
presentation with several visual effects. This tends to support the return on the visual
communication that is required.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Communication is considered an important aspect of health as well as social care. Through

the research, it was clear that no matter how knowledgeable a certain hospital or clinic might
be if it does not have open and better communication with the people concerned such as
patients and stakeholders the hospital might be of no use. This tells that effective healthcare
would go beyond expertise and knowledge and include a holistic approach that will end in
different interaction and experience aspects. They must have the ability to effectively
communicate with patients that are concerned with healthcare. There are basically 6 key areas
of communication that health and social care providers should pay attention to.

Attending and listening: listening is considered one of the important aspects when it comes to
communication. It is the first thing that comes to mind when the word communication is
being said. Firstly, this is an incredibly important factor while communicating. A doctor or
social worker needs to be efficient in listening to the patient so as to address the issue that
they are facing.

Non-verbal: nonverbal communication is concerning the body language and actions that are
undertaken by the social worker while presenting himself. A social worker must be positive
and confident while presenting himself in front of others. This can make the patient feel more
positive and optimistic.

Verbal: verbal communication is the way or pattern in which individual talks with another.
Verbal communication must be in accurate, clear, and honest language so that it ensures
people understand the message that is to be conveyed to them (Koutras et al, 2020). So
understanding the person to whom the speaker is talking and thus adapting to the language
and verbal communication accordingly is important in social work.

Questioning: this is the way or pattern in which a doctor or social worker asks a question to
the patients. This can impact the answers and discussion that is conducted between the doctor
and the patient. Thus, understanding the difference between closed and open questions is

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important. This can help in ensuring that the social workers ask the right form of questions at
the right time to the patient.

Written: written communication is considered an important aspect that needs to be clearer in

social work and healthcare. There should be no confusion or misunderstandings in return the
communication could result in serious implications such as wrong medications taken by the
patient.

Recording: Recording is considered another important aspect where patient data and
information concerned with the relevant individuals is to be stored. This is an important
component of healthcare as it tries to improvise efficiency and manage the data concerned
with the patients more appropriately.

BARRIERS TO THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

There are various types of barriers that are concerned communication:

Semantic barriers:

Semantic barriers are known as the basic language barriers that is being present. These are
caused due to inappropriate communication between the receiver and the sender (Lim and
Nakazato, 2020). A few of the instances of semantic barriers would be the poor quality of
messages that are to be communicated, lack of clarity or complex messages sent to the
receiver, and the technical language which is unable to understand by the receiver sometime
could cause a semantic barrier in communicate.

Psychological barriers

The psychological barrier is considered as an important aspect of interpersonal

communication. The state of mind of a sender or receiver can make it difficult to understand
the information or message that has been conveyed. This impacts the understanding between
the receiver and sender. Some instances where a psychological barrier to communication is
noticed would be the premature evolution of information by the receiver before it is
transmitted, there can also be inadequate attention from the receiver to the message that has
been conveyed (Asad et al., 2020). Whenever information is passed by different sources from
the sender, a psychological barrier could occur.

Organizational barriers

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Organizational barriers are considered as the barriers that are caused due to the rules,
structure, regulation, and other aspects that are present within the organization. These can be
encountered due to the superior-subordinate relationship where the free flow of
communication is not possible. The complex structure of an organization where multiple
managers are present makes it difficult to share the information properly and the information
gets disordered which leads to miscommunication.

Cultural barriers

Cultural barriers are the limitations that arise due to the lack of similarity among different
cultures that are present across the globe. A term that is harmless in one culture can be
regarded as a harmful word in another culture. Moreover, different beliefs can also differ
from one culture to another and thus this could cause misunderstanding and
miscommunication.

Physical barriers

Physical barriers in communication basically arise due to different factors such as noise,
closed doors, cabins, equipment, and others (Avătămăniței et al., 2020). This can cause the
information that is sent from the sender to the receiver to become more disordered and thus
lead to improper communication between the individuals.

Physiological barriers

The psychological barriers that are been mentioned arise whenever a sender or the receiver of
a certain message is not in a position to express a received message with clarity. The major
reason behind this could be different psychological issues that could act as an obstacle to
speaking or hearing.

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CONCLUSION

The interchange or conveyance of ideas, information, or thoughts from one person to another
or from one location to another is seen as communication, which covers both. According to
the explanation, this is a crucial procedure that will foster significant mental exchange
amongst various people. This technique helps a person perceive meanings and develop their
level of comprehension to the fullest (Koufos et al., 2021). Here, two or more individuals
interact and exchange information, concepts, views, and feelings. Communication may be
thought of as the process through which specific information is passed from one person to
another. Understanding what has been said and responding to it are the basic goals of
communication. This presentation has included the importance of communication for an
individual. It has also described the complete communication process that has been followed
by an individual. Further, it has focused on explaining the importance of communication in
healthcare as well as the social sector. It has also included the barriers that are present with
communication and its involvement with an individual.

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REFERENCES

Adnan, M.H. and Ahmad Zukarnain, Z., 2020. Device-to-device communication in 5G

environment: Issues, solutions, and challenges. Symmetry, 12(11), p.1762.

Asad, M., Moustafa, A. and Ito, T., 2020. FedOpt: Towards communication efficiency and
privacy preservation in federated learning. Applied Sciences, 10(8), p.2864.

Avătămăniței, S.A., Căilean, A.M., Done, A., Dimian, M. and Prelipceanu, M., 2020. Noise
resilient outdoor traffic light visible light communications system based on
logarithmic transimpedance circuit: experimental demonstration of a 50 m reliable
link in direct sun exposure. Sensors, 20(3), p.909.

Koufos, K., EI Haloui, K., Dianati, M., Higgins, M., Elmirghani, J., Imran, M.A. and
Tafazolli, R., 2021. Trends in intelligent communication systems: review of
standards, major research projects, and identification of research gaps. Journal of
Sensor and Actuator Networks, 10(4), p.60.

Koutras, D., Stergiopoulos, G., Dasaklis, T., Kotzanikolaou, P., Glynos, D. and Douligeris,
C., 2020. Security in IoMT communications: A survey. Sensors, 20(17), p.4828.

Krizanova, A., Lăzăroiu, G., Gajanova, L., Kliestikova, J., Nadanyiova, M. and Moravcikova,
D., 2019. The effectiveness of marketing communication and importance of its
evaluation in an online environment. Sustainability, 11(24), p.7016.

Lim, S. and Nakazato, H., 2020. The emergence of risk communication networks and the
development of citizen health-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic:
Social selection and contagion processes. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, 17(11), p.4148.

Odinokaya, M., Krepkaia, T., Sheredekina, O. and Bernavskaya, M., 2019. The culture of
professional self-realization as a fundamental factor of students’ internet
communication in the modern educational environment of higher education.
Education Sciences, 9(3), p.187.

Pokrovskaia, N.N., Leontyeva, V.L., Ababkova, M.Y., Cappelli, L. and D’Ascenzo, F., 2021.
Digital communication tools and knowledge creation processes for enriched
intellectual outcome—experience of short-term E-learning courses during pandemic.
Future Internet, 13(2), p.43.

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Zito, M., Ingusci, E., Cortese, C.G., Giancaspro, M.L., Manuti, A., Molino, M., Signore, F.
and Russo, V., 2021. Does the end justify the means? The role of organizational
communication among work-from-home employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), p.3933.

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