PHS -Chapter 3 (Slides 1-14) Communication

Ch. 3: Fundamental Skills in Health Informatics

(Slides 1-14)

1. Communication Process
- Listening, speaking, reading observing, body language, and writing
2. Communicating Healthcare Information
- Communicating through the medical record
- Communicating by phone
- Improving Health Literacy

Warm-Up...

• Have you ever felt confused or frustrated while communicating with a doctor, dentist, or other healthcare provider?

• Have you or someone you know had a mix-up with a medical record or bill? 

• What can healthcare providers do to make sure they communicate effectively with patients?

​Communication

Communication 🗣️

• Share a message, thought, or idea

• Goal: ensure message is understood ✅

Healthcare Communication 🏥

• Follows rules and procedures 📋

• Promotes clear, accurate information 🔍

Communication Process 🔄

• Starts with a message ✉️

• Receiver provides feedback 💬

• Confirms understanding 👍

Critical Thinking...

Why Feedback is Important 💬

• Confirms the message was received correctly ✅

• Allows clarification if something is misunderstood 🔄

• Builds understanding between sender and receiver 🤝

• Improves future communication skills 📈

​Communication Skills

Ways We Communicate 📡

• Listening 👂

• Speaking 🗣️

• Reading 📖

• Observing 👀

• Body Language 🤷‍♂️

• Writing ✍️

Think Further

• A patient says they feel fine 🗣️

• Body language shows discomfort:

  • Clenched teeth 😬

  • Shallow breathing 😮‍💨

• May indicate pain despite their words 🩺

When might a patient’s body language tell more than his or her words? 🤔

Think Further

• Maintain eye contact 👀

• Smile warmly 🙂

• Nod to show understanding 👍

• Face the patient directly ↔️

• Keep an open posture 🤲

• Lean in slightly to show attentiveness 🪑

• Use gentle, appropriate touch (if appropriate) ✋

What body language can you use to show you care about a patient? 💙

​Communicating through the
Medical Record

Medical Record 📋

• Also called a patient’s chart or file

• This is an important tool for caregivers and staff to share patient information 🤝

Parts of the Medical Record 🩺

• Doctors’ evaluations 🧑‍⚕️

• Treatments received 💉

• Changes in patient’s health 📈

• Patient communication 💬

Critical Thinking 🧠

What’s in a Patient’s Medical Record? 📋

• Chief complaint 🗣️

• Family & personal medical history 👨‍👩‍👦

• Physical exam results & physician’s diagnosis 🩺

• Progress notes on treatment 📈

• Nurse’s notes describing symptoms 📝

• Reports: lab, radiology, operative, discharge 🧪

• Medications prescribed 💊

• Records of all patient communications 💬

• Forms (HIPAA notice, living will, etc.) 📄

Multiple Choice

Why is FEEDBACK so important?

• It ensures the person receiving the information has understood it correctly

• It makes conversations longer

• It prevents the need for communication

• It replaces body language

Multiple Select

Select all the communication skills necessary for efficient communication

• listening

• speaking

• observing

• ignoring people

Multiple Choice

A person may describe how they feel and say they feel fine, but their body language could tell a different story.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

What body language should you use with patients to show you care? (select 2)

• making eye contact/looking at them

• nod to acknowledge what they are saying

• document medical information in the computer while they are speaking to you

• look away from the patient when they are talking to you

Multiple Select

What is included in a patient's medical record? (select 3)

• treatments received

• results of exams

• family history

• a list of hobbies and interests

SOAP Format for Progress Notes 📝

• Subjective (S): Patient’s own description of their condition 🗣️

• Objective (O): Test results, vital signs, and provider’s observations 📊

• Assessment (A): Preliminary diagnosis or possible conditions to consider 🔍

• Plan (P): Next steps like tests, treatments, and follow-up appointments 🗓️

​Used for documenting patient visits:

​SOAP Diagram

Medical Documentation 🗂️

• Refers to forms and notes added to the medical record 📝

• Charting: recording observations and patient information ✍️

• Different healthcare workers complete different parts of charting 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

• Follows specific guidelines to ensure accuracy and completeness ✔️

Communicating by Telephone📞

• Telephone Etiquette: Polite behavior when speaking on the phone ☎️

• Triage: Sorting patients by urgency of care needed ⚠️

• Always document phone conversations with patients in the medical record 📝

Critical Thinking

Which Conditions Are True Emergencies? 🚨

• Chest pain or any other severe pain ✅

• Difficulty breathing ✅

• Loss of consciousness ✅

• A fever above 102°F ❌

  • Usually serious but not always immediate emergency

• Heavy bleeding ✅

• Severe vomiting or diarrhea ✅

Health Literacy

Health Literacy 📚

• Ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make decisions 🩺

• Includes reading level, speaking, and listening skills 🗣️👂

Healthcare Workers Should:

• Check how well patients understand and adjust how they explain things ✅

• Learn about different cultures to communicate better 🌍

Multiple Choice

What is the process of recording observations and information about patients?

• charting

• note taking

• reading

Match

Match the following terms:

• Term for a code of polite behavior while on the phone

• Sorting patients by how urgent their care needs are.

• Refers to the forms and notes added to a medical record when charting

• The ability to understand and use health information to make decisions.

telephone etiquette

triage

medical documentation

health literacy

• telephone etiquette

• triage

• medical documentation

• health literacy