Communication is a foundation for all kinds of interpersonal relationships. Being able to communicate effectively is an essential skill in settings of all kinds: business, personal spaces, workplaces and many others. There are very few spheres of human interaction where good communication skills are not a crucial cog in making those interactions work properly.
It therefore follows that good communication skills are a great asset to doctors, who must work closely with patients, colleagues, managers and others on a regular basis, often at times of increased stress and while contending with high workload. For example, being able to communicate clearly and effectively is a skill that allows patients to feel confident in the doctor which in turn helps build trust, better rapport and a good and healthy relationship between them. It’s essential for doctors to be able to “be present”, with each patient, in other words to be able to concentrate on the patient they are with and put aside matters such as the previous patient or other mental “clutter” that could otherwise impede concentration and good communication.
A good, trusting relationship in turn allows necessary information (for example, about outcomes, treatment etc.) to be given with the reassurance of confidentiality, and because the patient feels more trusting they are more likely to follow a recommended regime of treatment, for example. On the one side, being able to encourage patients to share information is critical, and on the other side, having the skill to feed back information that the patient can readily understand is equally important. Compassion and collaboration are essential parts of medical and care settings.
There are many reasons why doctors may want to think about improving their communication skills further. They may wish to be better at presenting diagnosis or treatment options, ensuring a patient’s understanding of and compliance with treatments or prescribed medications, encouraging or helping a patient to adopt a healthier style of living or make appropriate lifestyle changes, or even working towards an understanding of cultural distinctions or attitudes which may impact on care.
Looking at the broader picture, for example across a hospital department or a care home, an improvement in communication skills can dramatically improve the quality of patient care. Good, confident communication allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to share important information about a patient’s situation, plan of treatment, and prognosis.
From the perspective of workforce and management, better communication also helps foster a better, happier work environment which helps improve productivity. It can also help reduce the chances of misunderstandings and conflicts, some of which could otherwise cause serious issues impacting on care. When team members feel like they can communicate with each other more openly, they tend to be more satisfied with their job and less likely to experience burnout.
It’s also important to note that good communication skills are essential to avoid mistakes being made, some of which can be critical. Poor communication can potentially lead to patient harm.
So, better communication skills across the board can help build a greater sense of teamwork, which is essential in a medical or care setting. Healthcare is demanding and fast-paced, so everyone must be able to rely on each other and communicate effectively.
Communication is key to maintaining a cohesive and productive environment for doctors in healthcare settings, where clear and concise flow of information between colleagues can mean the difference between life and death.
Our Course
The aims and objectives of our Communication Skills for Doctors course are to define communication and why it is so important in healthcare and to become familiar with the relationship between communication and decision making. We explore how we communicate and what patients want to talk to us about as well as examining what is good and poor communication. We explain the various communication styles; methods and models and also how culture can influence communication.
If you’re interested in taking this course or have any further questions, contact us by phone on 01291 624451 or email training@aci.training. We’d love to hear from you!
