Effective Communication in Healthcare: A Case Study of Kirra

Introduction

Effective communication for healthcare professionals is vital. It improves patient satisfaction and quality of care. Healthcare professionals are required to communicate effectively with patients to ensure that they understand the patient's needs and care for them proactively. The overall goal of communication in healthcare is to improve clinical effectiveness. The paper discusses a case study for Kirra who has been referred by her general practitioner because of his concerns on Kirra's weight and mood. As a counselor, though having not met the patient, I will discuss developing a rapport with the patient, communication strategies to facilitate effective communication, barriers to effective communication with Kirra, and the ethical considerations in the case.

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Developing Rapport with Kirra

Ross (2013, p.1) asserted that establishing a rapport with patients is vital because it enables health professionals to make informed decisions. According to the author, rapport enhances communication, collaboration, and brings a shared understanding of the patient's point of view. With reference to the case study, the first thing that I will do to build up a rapport with Kirra is to develop a collaborative relationship. O'Toole (2008, p.13) indicated that that kind of relationship brings a real connection between the healthcare professional and the patient. The author wrote about this while discussing the significance of a therapeutic relationship, which he described as one, which builds a connection, otherwise known as rapport. Upon meeting Kirra, I would develop this connection by ensuring that Kirra has trust in me and her health-related goals. I would build this trust by communicating effectively. Also, I would express empathy without being emotionally overwhelmed and projecting calmness during our meet. After I know that trust is established, I would focus on the needs of Kirra. In her case, she needs attention and affection from the people around her. She feels overwhelmed because of life stressors and also his father's drinking habits. In the collaborative relationship aspect, I would allow Kirra to be an agent of her circumstance and empower her to increase activities on things that matter in life.

Communication Strategies with Kirra

Communication strategies are vital for healthcare professionals. O'Toole (2008, p. 94) asserted that health professionals have to consider the emotional state of their clients because it would increase the ability to develop effective communication. Besides, Zivanovic & Ciric (2017, p.2) articulated that in health care, the use of certain strategies would encourage patients to express their feelings easily. The authors talked of therapeutic communication in either verbal or non-verbal communication to maintain health. These strategies would foster the effective collaborative relationship between Kirra and me. I would employ the following communication strategies to facilitate effective communication with Kirra,

Reinforcement of positive behavior - I will implement this strategy by first using an enthusiastic tone in my voice when speaking to Kirra. Most importantly, I will incorporate non-verbal communication by using cues such as smiling, touching her, and giving her a pat on the back.

Tailor communication towards a cultural context- I would implement this strategy by first having some knowledge of her cultural background. In her case, I would learn more about the Australian culture. Besides that, I will be open-minded, practice active listening, and maintaining a personal touch.

Provision of compassionate and personalized care - I would implement this strategy by demonstrating my total commitment to Kirra. I will express to her my concerns on her physical and mental health by projecting empathy. Furthermore, I will focus on the issue and also be affirmative in my responses towards her.

Empowerment to improve health conditions - I will implement this strategy by using a soft tone with Kirra as well as being empathetic. I would talk to her calmly while holding her hand to give her the chance to express her life preferences.

Barriers to Effective Communication with Kirra

Norouzina, Aghabarari, Shiri, Karimi, & Samami affirmed that effective communication in the healthcare industry is vital to improving patient outcomes. As they explained the quality of healthcare is affected by the nurse-patient relationship. Additionally, they state that the quality of care is affected by various barriers to effective communication. In this case, one socio-cultural factor would be the use of language and words. Indigenous people have a different meaning for different words. For example, to indigenous people, home is where the extended kinship stays and not where the single family unit resides. Besides that, socio-cultural factors affect perceptions in health, illness and death, beliefs about causes of illnesses, approaches to health promotion, and the experiences of illness. Indigenous Australians have different perceptions of health because most of them believe in traditional medicine for healing instead of seeking medical services from healthcare professionals.

O'Toole (2008, p. 210) asserted that the failure to find out the actual meaning of words is a barrier to effective communication. As the author added, to indigenous people, words have different meanings. In Kirra's case, her father is from indigenous Australian descent. Kirra is associated with her father's descent. I would overcome the socio-cultural barriers by exploring the meaning of words of indigenous Australian people. I would inquire about the cultural background of the community and find out more information on the communication behaviors and the relevant cultural needs. Afterward, I would accommodate these differences in every way possible. I would maintain open communication because it embraces different communication styles to maintain a culturally safe communication. I would explain to Kirra the significance of seeking treatment to improve her health needs.

Ethical Considerations Present in the Case

Kemparaj & Kadalur (2018, p.882) indicated that healthcare professionals have a duty of care of incorporating ethics into their practice. As they added, healthcare professionals have to improve their ethical knowledge by understanding the ethical issues and challenges that are encountered during contact with a patient. Furthermore, O'Toole (2008, p.139) introduces the concept of ethical communication where he cites Mohan et al., 2004 who indicated that communicative behaviors should be constructive to be considered ethical. In Kirra's case study, the following ethical considerations present themselves,

Consent - based on the case study, it is evident that even though Kirra consents, she is reluctant to treatment. Because of this, getting and discussing treatment options with Kirra would prove challenging. In this case, informed consent on the treatment options would be where Kirra has had all of her questions answered and agrees to the treatment procedure freely with full knowledge of risks, benefits, and consequences.

Issues related to patient confidentiality - due to Kirra's condition of mood and weight loss, it is believable that I will have to disclose her information to other medical practitioners outside my field to help her with treatment. However, to avoid patient confidentiality from becoming an ethical consequence, I would discuss with Kirra on my intentions to involve her in treatment with other healthcare professionals.

Inter-professional Communication

Based on the case study, it is clear that Kirra requires medical treatment. Due to her complex situation, I would communicate with other health professionals regarding Kirra's healthcare. For example, I would communicate with a nutritionist who would walk her through the path of increasing her weight. At 20 years old, a BMI f 18 is too low for her. The nutritionist would as well help her with the appropriate foods that she would eat to help her maintain a normal weight for her age. The other health professional that I would communicate with is a mental health professional for psychosocial support. Evidently, Kirra is stressed because of her father's drinking habits. This has affected her mood, which for that reason, she needs to see a mental health psycho-sociologist who would help her to improve her mood as well as overcome the stressful occurrences. The other health professional I would communicate with is a family psychologist. Kirra only sees her father during the second week of the month and when she sees him, he is always drunk. Her father's drinking habits have made her hesitant to speak about her difficulties. This is a familial problem where Kirra has to talk to a family psychologist to help her deal with her problems. Nevertheless, when communicating with these health professionals, some ethical considerations might present themselves. For example, the issue of patient confidentiality would arise. When talking to them, I will have to disclose every information abot Kirra. Furthermore, challenges could arise from inter-professional communication. For instance, role ambiguity, competition, and lack of trust to enhance the collaborative process would arise.

Conclusion

Overall, caring for Kirra's health needs would be the priority to ensure that she improves her quality of life.

References

Kemparaj, V & Kadalur, U. (2018). Understanding the principles of ethics in health care: a systematic analysis of qualitative information. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health. 5. 822. 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180738.

Norouzinia, R., Aghabarari, M., Shiri, M., Karimi, M., & Samami, E. (2015). Communication Barriers Perceived by Nurses and Patients. Global journal of health science, 8(6), 65-74. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v8n6p65

O'Toole, G. (2008). Communication: Core Interpersonal Skills for Health Professionals. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=tPK9BCxlQe0C&q=Elsevier#v=snippet&q=Elsevier&f=false

Ross, L. (2013). Facilitating Rapport through Real Patient Encounters in Health Care Professional Education. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine. 10. 10.33151/ajp.10.4.50.

Zivanovic, D & Ciric, Z. (2017). Therapeutic Communication in Health Care. SciFed Nursing & Healthcare Journal, 1:2.