Hcs/320 Health Communication Research Paper
Running Head: Communication Opinion Paper
Health care Communication
Tomika McClam
HCS/320
October 21, 2013
Polly Hanson
What is health communication? “Health communication is shaped by many influences including personal goals, skills, cultural orientation, situational factors, and consideration of other people’s feelings” . Communication is used daily in many ways, and no matter what age, experience level, or background, effective communication is a skill that all can learn. Kreps and Barbara Thornton (1992) define health communication as “the way we seek, process and share health information” (p. 2).
To have effective communication whether it’s the basic elements of effective communication or basic rules of healthcare communication there needs to be a sender, receiver, message, channel and feedback for communication to take place. These are the basic elements of communication that will allow a message to be communicated, with these elements of communication present there are also …show more content…
Different cultures perceive different messages in many ways. What may be allowed by one culture may not be permitted in another. In any conversation there may be a level of uncertainty and anxiety, but learning cultural differences and what is allowed can make for comforting conversation. Maintaining eye contact, not using hand gestures, or touch can allow room for healthy communication and for the patient to build trust. Asking questions, listening attentively to what is said and using your assessment skills while communicating can also help to ease the patient anxiety and to open up to you as their provider. “Patients are active agents who can influence the way health communication is conducted. For example, doctors are sometimes criticized for doing most of the talking in medical encounters. At the same time, however, patients are known to be particularly submissive around
Health care Communication
Tomika McClam
HCS/320
October 21, 2013
Polly Hanson
What is health communication? “Health communication is shaped by many influences including personal goals, skills, cultural orientation, situational factors, and consideration of other people’s feelings” . Communication is used daily in many ways, and no matter what age, experience level, or background, effective communication is a skill that all can learn. Kreps and Barbara Thornton (1992) define health communication as “the way we seek, process and share health information” (p. 2).
To have effective communication whether it’s the basic elements of effective communication or basic rules of healthcare communication there needs to be a sender, receiver, message, channel and feedback for communication to take place. These are the basic elements of communication that will allow a message to be communicated, with these elements of communication present there are also …show more content…
Different cultures perceive different messages in many ways. What may be allowed by one culture may not be permitted in another. In any conversation there may be a level of uncertainty and anxiety, but learning cultural differences and what is allowed can make for comforting conversation. Maintaining eye contact, not using hand gestures, or touch can allow room for healthy communication and for the patient to build trust. Asking questions, listening attentively to what is said and using your assessment skills while communicating can also help to ease the patient anxiety and to open up to you as their provider. “Patients are active agents who can influence the way health communication is conducted. For example, doctors are sometimes criticized for doing most of the talking in medical encounters. At the same time, however, patients are known to be particularly submissive around