Theories of Communication in Health and Social Care

Communication is very important in every area of health and social care. Communication and interaction between the patient and the service provider influence all aspects of care, including health promotion, prevention and treatment of disease, and diagnosis (Payne et al., 2002). Thus, improved and better ways of communication can predominantly improvise the outcome of the patients.

Numerous ideas of communication are significantly important in health and social care contexts. Learning this idea can assist in improving communication in the field of medical and social care, which leads to better outcomes for patients. Social learning theory is The most prevalent communication theory (Moss, 2017). According to this notion, individuals get information by witnessing how things are carried out. According to this notion, people learn by studying the finest characteristics and changing their conduct by attempting to imitate the best practice or character. The informational theory of communication explains the communication procedure better and more comprehensibly (Moss, 2017). The informative theory contends that the efficacy of communication is based on the essential characteristics of communication, which consist of the source, who is referred to as the individual creating the message; the message is referred to as information from the source’s end that the destination has obtained; in the event of a conversation that takes place in person, the person receiving it might use both ears; the destination is the individual who receives the information. According to the informational theory of communication, all aspects above must be in place for communication to succeed. This idea has applications in health and social care. Communication may be enhanced by ensuring that the information is well placed before communication, that the manner of conveying it is determined, that noise is minimised, and that better receivers are installed (Payne et al., 2002).

Usage of Communication Skills in Social and Health Care

The capability of using verbal or written words and body language to make someone clearly understand and comprehend the message is a communication skill. These are further classified as Body language, verbal, and written communication skills. Professional experts in social and healthcare must have very good communication skills so that they can make their patients and the families of patients feel comfortable by establishing positive relations (Gianfredi et al., 2018). There are sufficient proofs that indicate the communication skills between the health care experts and the patients, which demonstrates the level of satisfaction of patients and the degree to which shows how the patients stick to the advice and the prescription as given by the health care experts and the trustworthiness of patients that they have on the health and social care experts. As a medical professional, my communication skills have assisted me in providing superior treatment to service users at my workplace, a nursing home. It allows me to analyse people’s welfare requirements and arrange their fulfilment (Gianfredi et al., 2018).

Examining Approach to Cop with Improper Interpersonal Communication in the Social and health care Environment

Communication between individuals conveys messages from one person to another to reach the desired result (De Negri et al., 1997). When the ability to communicate with others is misused, it can have serious consequences for patient care. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
Training – Improper communication may be addressed by teaching healthcare experts and other personnel the key competencies required to communicate properly with patients.
As per the views of Heiby and Hatzell (1991), Workers actions are impacted by the companys system regulations and processes. As a result, organisational policies, procedures and systems can be utilised to promote proper communication between individuals in the medical sector. These systems, rules, and procedures must be inclusive of diversity. Improper interpersonal interaction can also be promoted by developing a system for patients to present unacceptable conduct to management. When such complaints are received, management should examine the behaviour and, if required, take remedial actions. Corrective measures may involve, among other things, punishments, dismissal and warnings.

Investigate the Application of Techniques to assist Social and Health Care Users with Specific Communication Requirements

Whenever there are significant cultural disparities, or the patient has some handicap, like loss of hearing, special communication demands develop. Access to health and social services is often difficult for patients with particular communication requirements (Bergstrom and Heimly, 2004). Fortunately, there are various ways available to help persons with specific needs. These involve using SOLER, MAKATON, interpreter and translation, among others.
SOLER is a technique used to establish a comfortable and friendly environment that gives patients with specific communication requirements opportunities to deliver their message to others. It is a composition of behaviour exhibited by the requirements of medical care professionals so that they can enhance interaction with the patient with specific communication requirements. These behaviours involve –

• Squarely sitting arrangements – The professionals of medical care facilities must sit in a square arrangement so that they can face the patients. This helps in communicating the readiness to help and listen.
• Open posture – The professionals also need to manage and handle an open posture which manifests concern and inclination to aid.
• Lean – Lean towards the patients. It ultimately enhances the probability of listening to everything as being told by the patient. This also shows the patients that the professionals are interested in listening to their problems.
• Eye contact – Making eye contact can make the patient understand that the professional is paying attention to the patient’s problems.
• Relax – Medical care manifests relaxation while addressing the patients, which ultimately aids patients to feel comfortable and relaxed by providing communication efficacy.

MAKATON is a type of language program that uses pictures, signs and symbols to aid people in communication (Bergstrom and Heimly, 2004). It also helps in supporting the words spoken and is effective whenever the patient or the individual cannot speak a particular language fluently.
Translation is another investigating technique that helps improve the communication between patients and medical care providers with special requirements. It consists of altering messages, whether verbal or written, into a form which is easily understandable by the patients or individuals having a sensational disability or are from various cultural backgrounds.

The SOLER technique, along with the translation, is considered one of the most suitable techniques which help improve the patient’s experience with medical care facilities (Bergstrom and Heimly, 2004). If the nurses and the doctors use this approach, there must establish a relaxed as well as comfortable environment for the patient to communicate effectively. Interpreter can also help break the language barrier, preventing the patient from getting services.

Comprehend How Numerous Aspects Influence Communication in Social and Health Care

Various aspects influence communication efficacy. These issues include, among others, foreign language, discomfort and emotional difficulties, sensory impairment and cultural differences.
Cultural variations have a significant impact on communication efficacy. Communication may be challenging in social and healthcare situations when the caregiver and the patient are from distinct backgrounds (Leventhal et al., 1992). This is because something might imply multiple things in various communities. Maintaining eye contact, for example, is beneficial in Western culture since it conveys interest in the discourse; however, in Australia, it is regarded as arrogant. Language differences are closely tied to cultural differences. When people live in a distant nation, the common language may differ from their original language. The difficulty in communicating effectively between patients and care professionals might need to be improved by their unwillingness to communicate in a foreign language fluently. This was the situation in the patients instance. Her incapacity to communicate in a foreign language (English) allowed her to get attention. Communication efficacy is also affected by sensory deprivation. A person’s capacity to send and receive signals is affected when one of their senses is impaired, such as hearing or vision. If sufficient assistance is present, this may help the efficacy of communicating with health and social care professionals.

The Influence of Legislation, Standards of Execution, and Charters on Interaction in the Social and Health Care Settings

Various laws impact the communication process in health and social care settings. The Data Protection Act of 1998, the Health and Social Care Act of 2012, and the Human Rights Act of 1998 are among these statutes. These laws influence the communication process in healthcare (Yu, 2008). The Data Protection Act, for example, specifies how patient data should be acquired, kept, communicated, and utilised. The regulations require that data be acquired privately, protected from unauthorised access, and used solely for the original purpose until the patient consents to alternative uses. Two elements of human rights legislation are also significant. These are the Right to Information and the Right to Privacy. Different standards of execution govern the practice of various healthcare professions. Almost each of these standards specifies how medical professionals should communicate with patients. FOR EXAMPLE, the NHS standard of practice mandates healthcare staff to protect doctor-patient anonymity, follow secrecy when administering to patients, and be culturally sensitive, among other things (Gianfredi et al., 2018). If the patient’s doctor had followed such guidelines, he would have been sympathetic to the patient’s cultural differences and would not have compelled the patient to undress in front of the student, as it would have been considered an infringement of privacy. A Charter is an organisation’s commitment to providing high-quality services. According to the NHS charter, NHS organisations make various obligations, notably keeping the patient first, becoming compassionate and attentive to their needs, and embracing diversity and equality, particularly when interacting. This Charter specifies how communication ought to be managed in NHS organisations to fulfil the requirements of people from all walks of life.

Organisational System Policies and Efficacy in Encouraging Good Practices in Communication

Organisational systems, processes and policies directly impact the organisations activities and events. It influences workers’ behaviours, values, attitudes, and organisational culture. It generally means that organisational systems, processes and procedures play a significant role in formulating communication in social and healthcare. All the communication systems and policies utilised in medical care affect the medical care professionals communication with the patients (Gianfredi et al., 2018). It also entails the patients trust that they have in the process of communication.

To Enhance Communication in the Medical care

Efficacy in communication is an important component of boosting the services of social and medical care. Thus, it is necessary to enhance the communication process between healthcare professionals and patients (Payne et al., 2002). These improvements in communication can be made by –

Staff training – Insufficient skills in medical professionals are the reason for poor communication in social and health care services. Training these professionals thus aids in enhancing the communication process in an organisation.
Accepting diversity – Diversity which relates specifically to ethnicity and culture is considered one of the biggest hurdles in the communication effectiveness in society and healthcare. Accepting diversity aids in the discontinuation of the hurdle. It can be accepted by motivating and cheering healthcare professionals to develop their awareness of different cultures. In addition, it can be reached by comprehending the preferences and needs of the patients language. This ultimately aids by applying accurate measures involving human help like translators and interpreters. Using dialect words and jargon is also avoided to make it uncomplicated for individuals with no medical expertise to comprehend the message. Communication and interaction in social and medical care settings can also be boosted by keeping the policies, processes and the system in an accurate place. All these must aim at discontinuing the hurdles of communication experienced by medical professionals, which involve language barriers, diversity and combativeness of staff. If all three of these were kept in a proper place in the medical care facilities where the patient was seeking medical treatment, problems of doctors combativeness would not be heard of.

Standard Packages of ICT which Encourages Work in Social and Health Care

ICT is utilised to demonstrate the applications and devices of communication, which involve the computer, its network, and software and hardware mobile telephone (Berg et al., 2003). It is utilised in several areas of social and medical care facilities, such as recording and keeping and providing social care remotely with the help of telecare. As a health professional, information on more patients is required to perform the duty accurately. The latest health and social care system identifies the digitalisation program for maintaining the records of all residents. This digital system for record management has eventually made the work easier and uncomplicated (Payne et al., 2002). This system helps by providing a simpler way to retrieve and utilise the information. Before developing this digital system, much time was spent on paperwork and administrative work. Making use of this system helps in saving a lot of time and is an easy way to retrieve the patients information. Care planning becomes easier with the development of the digital system.

Advantages of ICT for Users of Care Organizations, Care Services and Care Workers

Employing ICT in medical care has numerous advantages for users and organisations. There are numerous advantages of ICT in care organisations. Firstly, it results in operational effectiveness. Secondly, it is converting medical organisations slowly from an institution which emphasises the treatment of chronic disease and employ sharing of data and digital practices, which enables them to prevent and predict disease (Nordin et al., 2021). And lastly, Specifically, record digitalisation in enhancing the care quality by making the information accessible and feasible for quality decision-making and reducing the waiting list. ICT shows positive effects on medical care workers. For example, introducing telecare services in NHS has modified the medical care workers participation in the medical facility. These workers can avoid hanging around attending and commuting remotely to different patients. The introduction of telecare (ICT) makes it easy for medical care workers to provide care treatment to patients in their houses. In addition, records digitalisation saves care workers time, which they consume on administrative work,, which is enough for planning and implementing care services.
ICT also helps enhance patients’ experience from the services of care provided to them earlier. It helps reduce the waiting list and enables healthcare professionals to create quality decision-making. This is because of the availability of data in an easier way which helps enhance patient results. Telecare (ICT) allows patients to live independently in their houses as they can offer care services remotely. Another ICT includes telehealth, which makes it possible for patients to acquire medical services from anywhere and at any time. For example, an emergency patient can instantly acquire medical treatment from professionals with the help of telehealth, identify the disease and get treatment and medication done without moving to the hospital.

Assessing Legal Considerations in the Usage of ICT in Influencing the Social and Health Care

Some laws regulate the services provided by Health and Social care. THE LAWS DISCUSSED BELOW MUST BE CONSIDERED when ICT is utilised in health and social care services (Stanberry, 2001). For example, social and healthcare organisations are responsible for protecting patients’ privacy and safety.
Data Protection Act, 1998 – This act stipulates rules and regulations that should be adhered to utilising and storing information of patients. This influences how the gathered patient information is utilised and stored. Following this Act, information must be safeguarded from unauthorised access, used only for the purpose it was obtained, and kept only for a short time. Personal data must be accurate, up-to-date, managed, and employed with patient agreement. This complete obligation imposed by these regulations influences how health and social care gather, stores, and use data. This criterion must thus be considered while using ICT in health and social care. The installation and operation of computer equipment and networks in healthcare for data storage must offer patient data security by restricting access to such data.
Health and Safety Act, 1974 – As per this Act, social and healthcare facilities should protect employees and patients from risks. Utilising several ICT, like if computers are used for long hours daily, can negatively impact the lives and health of people. So, it is very important to use ICT in a way that does not harm anyone (patients or employees).

Conclusion

Communication and interaction in social and healthcare services are the important components that help deliver a high-quality system. Medical services depend on how effectively healthcare professionals understand and are understood by patients. Communicating effectively leads to accurate diagnosis, therapy, illness prevention, and health improvement. It also determines how well patients understand and follow prescriptions or guidance. Poor communication might have the opposite effect. As a result, all health and social care workers must be proficient in communication skills.

References

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• Bergstrøm, R. and Heimly, V., 2004. Information technology strategies for health and social care in Norway. International journal of circumpolar health, 63(4), pp.336-348.
• De Negri, B., Brown, D.L., Hernández, O., Rosenbaum, J. and Roter, D., 1997. Improving interpersonal communication between health care providers and clients. Bethesda US, pp.3-59.
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• Moss, B., 2017. Communication skills in health and social care. Communication Skills in Health and Social Care, 16(4), pp.1-272.
• Nordin, S., Sturge, J., Ayoub, M., Jones, A., McKee, K., Dahlberg, L., Meijering, L. and Elf, M., 2021. The role of information and communication technology (ICT) for older adults’ decision-making related to health, and health and social care services in daily life—A scoping review. International Journal of environmental research and public health, 19(1), p.151.
• Payne, S., Kerr, C., Hawker, S., Hardey, M. and Powell, J., 2002. The communication of information about older people between health and social care practitioners. Age and Ageing, 31(2), pp.107-117
• Stanberry, B., 2001. Legal ethical and risk issues in telemedicine. Computer methods and programs in biomedicine, 64(3), pp.225-233.

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