“The single best tragedy in well being & science. proper now, is the shortcoming to speak properly”.

Communication is a way of trade of knowledge, as additionally a technique of sharing of concepts. Fundamentally it has three parts – Speaking, Listening and Non-verbal communication (use of posture, palms, eyes & gestures). We use phrases, vocabulary, emotion, enunciation, dialect, our information of the topic to talk and our ears and mind to pay attention. We are inclined to ignore the function of non-verbal a part of communication, regardless of analysis that emphasises its function and worth. Whilst University of Pennsylvania’s analysis offers 70% of weightage to physique language, the extra generally adopted 7-38-55 rule offers it 55% weightage.

Communication follows a 7C system – Complete, Correct, Concrete, Clear, Concise, Considerate and Courteous.

However, in well being care, poor communication is a bane as 65% of all sentinel occasions (JCACO 1995-2004) had been associated to poor or no communication and most complaints about docs are associated to communication errors. Research additionally signifies that as we progress from being medical college students to senior consultants, our technical proficiencies definitely get enhanced however, in lots of instances, our capability to speak properly with our sufferers declines. 75% of fallacious website, surgical procedures (Haynes etal, 2009), 60% of treatment errors (Reader etal, 2006), 72% of neonatal deaths in obstetric instances (Leonard etal, 2004) & 30% of all malpractice fits within the United States (US) (2009-13) had been a results of communication errors/deficiencies.

Health care is a fancy subject whereby speaking properly is as nice a necessity as studying the technicalities of the apply of medication and surgical procedure. Poor communication between colleagues, friends and juniors, amongst docs, doctor-nurse, doctor-patient and lack of communication and documentation throughout affected person handovers are fairly widespread and doubtlessly dangerous.

The high quality of knowledge recorded and conveyed, time given to hearken to the affected person; (77% time docs interrupt the affected person’s preliminary assertion and interrupt the affected person as soon as each 18 seconds (Beckerman & Frankel), improper communication utilizing medical jargon like COPD, AMI, CHF and TNM– phrases which the layman cannot perceive, create a niche that causes misery and mishaps.

Whilst communication is (wrongly) attributed purely as an artwork, there’s a science to it. Art is most necessary a part of “how” in communication however science is essential within the “when, the place & whom” a part of communication. Tools like SBAR for structured communication in healthcare will help. SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment & Recommendation. Even the United Airlines CUUS – Concerned, Uncomfortable, Unsafe, Scared – mode can be utilized in well being care settings to good impact.

Teaching communication to medical and nursing college students within the undergraduate curriculum, use of instructional instruments like Teach Back, examine lists (Pilot Gawande, Pronovost, WHO Safe Surgery), Electronic Medical Records, Computer Generated Prescriptions, Patient Engagement Tools & good apply instance, like Making Care Better (by Weill Cornell Medical Collage & NY Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons (2014) can do wonders.

The time has come to pay heed to the saying of two “greats” – George Bernard Shaw who stated “The biggest problem with communication is the illusion it has taken place” and Peter Drucker who stated “The most necessary factor in communication is to listen to what is not being stated”.

Let’s make well being care protected.

This article has been authored by Dr Narottam Puri, advisor at Fortis Healthcare Limited and FICCI, and hony. professor, Indian Medical Association.