In the healthcare industry, communication takes place among the patients and the medical care providers for appointment scheduling, treatments, understanding of lab reports, and several other queries.
Communication is also crucial among care providers to discuss new medications, treatments, and medical policies. Effective communication helps to gain an improved quality of patient care and effective clinical results. Clear communication strategies in healthcare help to bring down medical errors, long waiting times, expensive treatments, and increased stress, and poor decision making.
A study from CRICO Strategies states that due to inefficient healthcare communications have cost the lives of 2000 patients and a loss of $1.7 billion healthcare costs. (BAILEY)
Communication Strategies for Internal Healthcare Staffs
There are several communication strategies in healthcare that have been shown to reduce the potential for medical errors and ensure efficient and effective communication.
• The Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation (SBAR) Strategy
• The Situation, Task, Intent, Concern, ad Calibrate(STICC) Strategy
• Communication Strategies for conversing with Patients
• Background, Affect, Troubles, Handling, Empathetic (BATHE) Strategy
• Announce, Welcome, Ask, Review and Explain (AWARE) Strategy
• Patient Teach-Back Strategy
• Patient Satisfaction and Healthcare
• Using the HIPAA Compliant Communication Tool
Thus the healthcare providers who are using the latest communication tools provide care with fewer medical errors, improved patient care, and reduced healthcare costs for both patients and hospitals.