Competent Communication in Healthcare Discussion Reply

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Communication

Communicating with a patient who speaks another language should be carried out methodically and carefully. Body language, speech and personal space practices will vary with differing cultures and the same word in one language might not have the same meaning in another (Ball et al., 2023). One example is that many of those within the elder Alaska native population will consider a handshake a respectful greeting but see direct eye contact as a form of disrespect (Woodbury et al., 2020).

A medical interpreter should be used so that information is given to the patient with technical accuracy using phrases and words that are culturally appropriate and specific. Although many patients will arrive with a family member to interpret, misunderstandings could arise if the family member does not understand the clinician’s question or instructions. Medical interpreters not only understand the individual language, but they are also trained to understand the culture, it’s healthcare beliefs and practices (Squires, 2021).

In addition to using an interpreter, the clinician’s planned communication approach could include asking patient-centered questions and waiting for a response (Al Shamsi et al., 2020). Being careful with words used as opposed to being careless is important since patients will be reading the clinician and searching for meaning in what is said. The clinician should be careful about the speed at which they speak and the words they use to answer the patient. The clinician should be courteous by addressing the patient and all those with them, maintain attention to the patient and to be respectful of modesty practices. The comfort of the patient should be of paramount importance maintaining appropriate temperature and privacy, decreasing extraneous noise, and having minimal furniture separating the clinician and patient. Clinicians should attempt to connect with the patient and family asking open-ended questions and pausing for a response. They should then confirm the patient understands what was said, the instructions given, the plan of care, and has had all of their questions answered satisfactorily (Ball et al., 2023). 

Questions 

In a planned approach to communication, questions to ask the patient could include the following:  

What would you like to be called? 

How are you feeling today? 

What do you think is causing your illness? 

What do you think we should do?

How are you handling your illness at home?

As the patient speaks, the clinician can clarify answers by asking where, when, what, how, and why questions. Additionally, it is important to remember that open-ended questions can lead to more accurate answers from the patient (Ball et al., 2023).

Shadow Health

Lessons in Shadow Health centered on patient/clinician conversation. Questions to ask the patient could include single-subject, open-ended questions. The clinician should not inundate the patient with multiple questions within a single question, especially        when there exists a language barrier. Questions should qualify frequency, rate, and time by using phrases such as, “when or how many.” Additionally, the use of personal pronouns should be avoided unless the patient has specified what they prefer to have used (Shadow Health, 2023).

Clinical Reasoning

Communication that is accurate is vital to the clinician’s ability to apply clinical reasoning. The nurse practitioner or clinician combines the knowledge obtained from the patient’s history, the patient’s own verbal report, the physical assessment with the clinician’s own reasoning and decision-making skills. (Ball et al., 2023). If the clinician did not accurately assess the patient due to miscommunication, both parties will be dissatisfied, and the patient will not receive the proper care needed.

Insight gained from the research done for this discussion was in regard to the elder Alaska native population. I found that many elders appreciate the clinician being themselves and creating an atmosphere of respect. They often tend to keep information to themselves until a rapport has been established. When that trust relationship has been established, they may allow touch such as a comforting had on the arm during times of distress. Many of the Alaskan native populations will raise their eyebrows to mean “yes” and shrug their shoulders to mean, “I don’t know.” Additionally, elders will often use story telling as a way to answer questions (Woodbury et al., 2020). Although cultures encountered will not all share communication similarities to the Alaska native elder, communication concepts remain the same. Demonstrating respect in a way a person understands, asking open-ended questions and pausing for response, clarifying information received and ensuring that the patient understands is crucial for effective patient/clinician communication.