Healthcare Communication

Healthcare communication involves an effective line of communication between medical professionals, clients and the patient. An essential component of patient healthcare providers' communication is the ability to provide information that can improve patient understanding. Effective communication between patients and healthcare providers is a critical element to quality healthcare (Markova and Broome, 2007).

Effective personal healthcare communication should be an important practice between healthcare professionals, clients and patients. Many factors affect personal care, such as the personal characteristics, past experiences, attitudes, values, and biases. Activities can be conducted in order to promote a physician's awareness such as support groups and discussions. The healthcare professional that is aware of patients' attitudes, behaviors and beliefs that may influence patient care that can help clinicians improve the quality of care. Professionals have to face many challenges that may affect the quality of healthcare such as ethnic, racial and the backgrounds of patients. Healthcare communication should also include empathy and understanding when interacting with the patient. The best way to achieve effective communication is to make sure that plenty of feedback is given from the person receiving the information. Professionals should analyze if the client can comprehend and understand the message that was given. Nurses and physicians should learn the aspects of each culture which can influence a medical encounter.