essay on health and communication

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Effective Communication — Effective Communication in Healthcare

Effective Communication in Healthcare

• Categories: Effective Communication Health Care Reform

About this sample

Words: 516 |

Published: Feb 12, 2024

Words: 516 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Annotated Bibliography

• Epstein, D. et al. (2008). Relationship, Communication, and Efficiency in the Medical Encounter: Creating a Clinical Model from a Literature Review. Arch Intern Med. 168(13):1387-1395.
• Joan, M. et al. (2009). Power of Communication in Health Care: Four Simple Ways to Adjust Your Mind-set and Avert Bad Outcomes. Joint Commission Perspectives on Patient Safety, 9(6), pp. 8-10.
• Meyer, E. C. et al. (2009). Difficult conversations: Improving communication skills and relational abilities in health care. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 10 (3): 352-359.
• Pilnick, A. (2010).Communication in Healthcare Settings: Policy, Participation and New Technologies. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Schyve, P. M. (2007). Language Differences as a Barrier to Quality and Safety in Health Care: The Joint Commission Perspective. Journal of General Internal Medicine, Volume 22, Supplement 2: 360-361.
• Singh, H. et al. (2008). Reducing Diagnostic Errors through Effective Communication: Harnessing the Power of Information Technology. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23 (4): 489-494.
• Priebe, S et al. (2007). Structured patient–clinician communication and 1-year outcome in community mental healthcare. The British Journal of Psychiatry 191: 420-426.
• Haskard, K. B. et al. (2009). Physician Communication and Patient Adherence to Treatment: A Meta-analysis. Med. Care. 2009; 47(8): 826–834.

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Sociology Government & Politics

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 714 words

2 pages / 878 words

3 pages / 1403 words

5 pages / 2460 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Effective Communication

Soft skills are known as combinations of social skills and personality characteristics. Soft skills influence how someone functions in a working environment with others (Doyle, 2019). The term 'soft skill” refers to various [...]

Communication is an essential aspect of human interaction, enabling the exchange of ideas, information, and emotions. As society becomes increasingly fast-paced, so does our speech. Speeding speech refers to the act of speaking [...]

Communication is a complex process that involves the exchange of information, ideas, and emotions between individuals. In order to ensure that communication is effective, it is crucial for individuals to engage in perception [...]

Communication is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, shaping relationships, driving innovation, and influencing societal change. In today's fast-paced world, the means by which we communicate have evolved significantly, [...]

In an organization, the flow of communication can either be formal or informal. Communication that flows through normal channels can be upward, horizontal or downward. Communication that flows through informal organizational [...]

Soft skills can be defined as character traits or interpersonal aptitudes that affect your ability to work and interact with others, personal attributes, personality traits, inherent social cues, and conversation capabilities [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• About the Field
• Generalist MCM
• Marketing Communication
• Strategic and Organizational Communication
• Market Research and Analytics
• Admissions Overview
• Student Experience
• Career Overview

MASTER OF COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT ONLINE

The Importance of Communication in Health Care and Tips to Improve

November 15, 2023

View all blog posts under Articles

Technology is everywhere, and its use is only growing. 91.8% of the U.S. population uses the internet, according to the data aggregate site Statista. A 2021 study by Pew Research Center stated that 85% of Americans also own a smartphone — a dramatic rise from the 35% ownership Pew reported in 2011. The survey also noted that 15% of American adults exclusively use their smartphone to access the internet.

This increased use of tech also changed the way people consume health information and underscored the importance of communication in health care. Roughly 60% of Americans were granted online access to their health information in 2020, and nearly 40% of these individuals took advantage of this at least once, according to a  2020 report from HealthIT.gov. Additionally, a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed nearly one in four patients used telehealth services within a four week period between April and October of 2021.

As technology continues to flourish, health care professionals can leverage innovative communication degree online and strategies to become effective leaders in the field.

Why Is Communication in Health Care Important?

Effective communication can have a positive impact on the patient-provider dynamic in numerous ways. It can allow patients to be better educated about their own health, which could enable them to embrace proactive health and wellness strategies. It can also help patients develop a comprehensive understanding of current care strategies involving their health, including acute health situations.

Communication can also help develop a sense of trust between the patient and provider, which might make it easier for patients to adhere to a provider’s recommendations. These elements can lead to several key potential long-term benefits, such as reduced patient visits, reduced costs and improved patient outcomes.

The increased presence of technology makes effective communication even more important in health care. It can help mitigate the potential impact of health misinformation that could otherwise lead patients to make poor or improper decisions about their health. It can also help improve communication among other health care professionals who may need to coordinate care across multiple facilities. This can also lead to improved opportunities for delivering care.

Types of Communication in Health Care

Because technology constantly evolves, continuously strengthening communication is important for health care providers to meet patient expectations. In today’s modern landscape, there are several ways types of communication in health care that can help providers stay ahead of the curve.

Patient Portals Provide Access to Health Information

Health care facilities can develop patient portals, which allow patients to sign up and have confidential access to their individual health care information. Educational health information can be placed on the patient’s portal that is relevant to the patient’s specific health needs. Clinical summaries can be made accessible. These summaries can be a review of the patient’s last appointment or a summary of recent test results with explanations. The summaries can also include recommendations, such as the need for follow-up appointments.

Emailing Can Improve the Patient-Provider Connection

Health care providers, once wary of using email as a communication tool, are finding that email is actually saving them great amounts of time. Responding to patient emails during downtimes is much quicker than returning phone calls. Many emails contain basic questions that can be answered quickly, or emails can be used as reminders to send orders to other providers.

Medication requests can also easily be reviewed and addressed through emails, which are more time-saving than phone calls.

Texting Can Keep the Patient Informed

Text messaging can be an effective tool that allows health care professionals to immediately reach the patient with important information. Texting can be used to directly communicate appointment delays, prescription reminders and patient-portal messages. It can also help keep a patient’s portal information secure by being a key component of patient security measures, such as two-factor login authentication.

Social Media Can Reach a Large Audience

Social media is one of the least expensive ways to disseminate information to large numbers of people. General questions can be answered and information provided. Negative comments made on social media sites can be addressed, which can make a difference in the public opinion of your health care facility. It can also promote a facility’s health-related special events.

In times of public health crises, information can be shared that will give people the correct facts and guidance, which can help prevent the spread of misinformation and panic.

Apps and Websites Can Target Different People

Health care providers can use apps to communicate and target different groups of people. They may have a website with educational health information available for those who seek out information. Additionally, they may offer videos of real people to show how a treatment works.

Health care providers could develop an app that can remind people to engage in certain healthy behaviors, like exercising or checking their blood sugar. Digital forums can also allow patients with similar issues to provide each other with support. Live chat can also be offered to patients.

Become a Builder of Quality Care

Strong communication in health care is important. In today’s digital world, effectively communicating goes beyond enhancing the dynamic between the patient and provider, it can be a tool that transforms the quality of care, which can ultimately improve patient outcomes.

If you are thinking about going into the field of health care — or are just interested in learning more about communication — the online masters in Management program at USC Annenberg ​​School of Communication and Journalism can prepare you to build impactful communication strategies. Our program is designed to help you cultivate expertise in the tactics and strategies of clear and effective communication, which can be deftly applied to health care, business and more.

Discover how we can help advance your professional future, by enhancing your reputation for communicative excellence.

Recommended Readings

Crisis Communications: 2021 and Beyond

Disruptive Communication in Today’s Digital World

Why is Effective Communication Important to Career Success?

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Approach to Improving Patient Safety: Communication”

HealthIT.gov, Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2020

HIPAA Journal, Text Messaging in Healthcare

Journal of Medical Internet Research , “Social Media Use for Health Purposes: Systematic Review”

MedlinePlus, Communicating with Patients

MedlinePlus, Patient Portals - an Online Tool for Your Health

JMIR Medical Education , “Email Use Reconsidered in Health Professions Education: Viewpoint”

Pew Research Center, Mobile Fact Sheet

Statista, Internet Usage in the United States - Statistics & Facts

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Confronting Health Misinformation”

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “National Survey Trends in Telehealth Use in 2021: Disparities in Utilization and Audio vs. Video Services”

Get Program Details

Essay on Effective Communication In Health And Social Care

Students are often asked to write an essay on Effective Communication In Health And Social Care in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Effective Communication In Health And Social Care

Introduction.

Effective communication is very important in health and social care. It helps doctors, nurses, patients, and their families to share information. This can make patient care better and safer.

The Importance of Communication

Good communication helps to build trust between health care workers and patients. It also helps to make sure that patients get the right treatment. When people can talk openly and honestly, they can understand each other’s needs and feelings better.

Types of Communication

There are two types of communication: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication is when people talk or write. Non-verbal communication is when people use body language or facial expressions.

Barriers to Communication

Sometimes, there can be things that make communication hard. These can be language differences, loud noises, or even stress. Health care workers need to know how to overcome these barriers to give good care.

250 Words Essay on Effective Communication In Health And Social Care

What is effective communication.

Effective communication is the process of sharing information clearly and without confusion. In the fields of health and social care, it is a key tool. It helps in understanding a person’s needs, building trust, and providing quality care.

Why is it Important?

In health and social care, communication is very important. It helps doctors, nurses, and social workers understand what a patient needs. If communication is clear, it can help in making the correct diagnosis and providing the right treatment. It also helps to build trust between the patient and the care provider.

There are two types of communication: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication is when we use words to share information. Non-verbal communication includes things like body language, facial expressions, or gestures. Both types are important in health and social care.

Sometimes, things can stop effective communication. These are called barriers. Barriers can be things like language differences, loud noises, or even a person’s emotions. It’s important for health and social care workers to understand these barriers and find ways to overcome them.

Improving Communication

To improve communication, health and social care workers should listen carefully, speak clearly, and use simple language. They should also pay attention to non-verbal cues, like a person’s body language or facial expressions. By doing these things, they can ensure that communication is effective and that they are providing the best care possible.

500 Words Essay on Effective Communication In Health And Social Care

Why is effective communication important in health and social care.

In health and social care, people need to share a lot of information. This can be about a patient’s health, their care plan, or how they are feeling. If this information is not shared clearly, it can cause problems. For example, a doctor might not understand a patient’s symptoms, leading to wrong treatment. Or a social worker might not understand a person’s needs, leading to poor care.

Effective communication can prevent these problems. It can ensure that everyone understands the information being shared. This can lead to better health outcomes and more satisfied patients. It can also make health and social care workers feel more confident and capable in their jobs.

How to Achieve Effective Communication?

1. Use Simple Language: Use words that are easy to understand. Avoid using medical jargon or complex terms.

2. Listen Carefully: Pay close attention to what the other person is saying. Do not interrupt them. Show that you are interested and understanding.

4. Use Non-Verbal Communication: Use body language, facial expressions, and gestures to support your words. This can make your message more clear.

5. Confirm Understanding: Ask the other person if they understood what you said. If not, explain it again in a different way.

The Role of Technology in Effective Communication

Technology can also help with effective communication in health and social care. For example, electronic health records can make it easier to share and understand patient information. Video calls can make it easier for patients and health workers to communicate, especially during times like the COVID-19 pandemic.

In conclusion, effective communication is very important in health and social care. It can improve patient care, make health workers feel more capable, and even save lives. Therefore, it is something that everyone in this field should strive for.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Health Communication and Behavior Change

• First Online: 14 September 2022

Cite this chapter

• Neetu Purohit 2  

672 Accesses

The impetus of public health is on promotive and preventive approaches. Since efforts to promote and prevent are communicative, health communication is being increasingly recognized as a pertinent discipline to bring in desired change in health behavior. The epidemics and pandemics of last decade have further emphasized role of behavior and behavior change to keep oneself and others safe. Health communication aims at informing people about health programs and policies, empowering them to adopt healthy behaviors, attracting attention of policy-makers to unattended health issues and for framing health issues for public debate, regulation, and resolution. Health communication apprises about systematic and scientific ways to use communication processes for bringing in desired change in human behavior by combining theory and practice and involving multiple stakeholders. The present chapter will attempt to provide insights on emergence of biopsychosocial model, theories of behavior change, health communication, types of communication and steps in planning health communication intervention for behavior change. Though, health communication primarily revolves around social communication, its scope is wide and therefore the chapter also throws light on use of interpersonal communication in counselling during patient–provider communication or counselling sessions at facility or during household visits. The chapter also delves into use of mass and social media in designing health communication interventions for reach and coverage. Lastly, it stresses on the importance of scientific planning, robust implementation, continuous monitoring and evaluation in the management of health communication interventions to ensure designing of evidence-based behavior change communication interventions with opportunity for timely corrections for bringing in desired change and also learning lessons for expansion and future replication.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

“Soaps” for Social and Behavioral Change

Tailored Communications for Health-Related Decision-Making and Behavior Change

Health Communication: Approaches, Strategies, and Ways to Sustainability on Health or Health for All

Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior . Prentice-Hall.

Google Scholar  

Andrade, E. L., Evans, W. D., Barrett, N. D., Cleary, S. D., Edberg, M. C., & Alvayero, R. D. (2018). Development of the place-based Adelante social marketing campaign for prevention of substance use, sexual risk and violence among Latino immigrant youth. Health Education Research, 33 (2), 125–144.

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Backer, T. E., Rogers, E. M., & Sopory, P. (1992). Designing health communication Campaign: What works? Sage Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483325521

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory . Printice-Hall

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory . Prentice-Hall.

Barokas, J. (1995). Lessons learned from public health campaigns and applied to anti-DWI norms development (DOT HS 808 273) . U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Becker, M. H. (1974). The health belief model and personal health behavior. Health Education Monographs , 2 (Entire Issue)

Bernhardt, J. (2004). Communication at the core of public health. American Journal of Public Health, 94 (12), 2051–2052.

Article   Google Scholar  

Butland, B., et al. (2007). Tackling obesities: Future choices—project report (2nd ed.). Foresight Programme of the Government Office for Science.

Central Office of Information (COI). (2009). Communications and behaviour change . COI.

Chamberlain, M. A. (1996). Health communication: Making the most of new media technologies-An international overview. Journal of Health Communication, 1 (1), 43–50.

DeJong, W., & Atkin, C. K. (1995). A review of national television PSA campaigns for preventing alcohol-impaired driving, 1987–1992. Journal of Public Health Policy, 16 (1), 59–80.

Dias, D., & Paulo Silva Cunha, J. (2018). Wearable health devices-vital sign monitoring, systems and technologies. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) , 18 (8), 2414. https://doi.org/10.3390/s18082414

Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: A challenge for biomedicine. Science, 96 , 129–136.

Fishbein, D. B., Dowson, J. E., & Robinson, L. E. (1994a). Human ehrlichiosis in the United states, 1985 to 1990. Annals of Internal Medicine, 120 , 736–743.

Fishbein, M., Middlestadt, S., & Hitchcock, P. (1994b). Using information to change sexually transmitted disease-related behaviors: An analysis based on the theory of reasoned action. In R. DiClemente & J. Peterson (Eds.), Preventing AIDS: Theories of methods of behavioral interventions (pp. 61–78). Plenum Press.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Freimuth, V., & Quinn, S. C. (2004). The contributions of health communication to eliminating health disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 94 (12), 2053–2054.

Gillispie, M. A., & Ellis, L. B. M. (1993). Computer-based education revisited. Journal of Medical Systems, 17 , 119–125

Gittell & Vidal. (1998). Community organizing: Social capital as a development strategy . Sage.

Book   Google Scholar  

Glanz, K., Lewis, F. M., & Rimer, B. K. (1997). Linking theory, research and practice. In K. Glanz, F. M. Lewis, & B. K. Rimer (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research and practice (2nd ed., pp. 19–35). Jossey-Bass.

Gupta, P., & Purohit, N. (2020). Promoting health behaviour in young people in India: Learning for use of Social Media. International Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 14 (3), 122–130. https://doi.org/10.30491/ijbs.2020.210704.1178

Haines-Saah, R. J., Kelly, M. T., Oliffe, J. L., Bottorff, J. L. (2015). Picture me smoke free: A qualitative study using social media and digital photography to engage young adults in tobacco reduction and cessation. Journal of Medical Internet Research , 17(1):e27.

Health Development Agency. (2003). Understanding changes in behaviour and attitudes towards health services: The contribution of research from health promotion and public health . Health Development Agency.

Heldman, A., Schindelar, J., & Weaver, J. B. (2013). Social Media engagement and public health communication: implications for public health organizations being truly “Social.” Public Health Review, 35 (1), 1–18.

Homer, J. B., & Hirsch, G. B. (2006). System dynamics modeling for public health: Background and opportunities. American Journal of Public Health, 96 (3), 452–458. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.062059

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Jacobs, M. A., Cha, S., Villanti, A. C., & Graham, A. L. (2016). Using Tumblr to reach and engage young adult smokers: A proof of concept in context. American Journal of Health Behavior, 40 (1), 48–54.

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53 (1), 59–68.

Leventhal, H. (1973). Changing attitudes and habits to reduce risk factors in chronic disease. American Journal of Cardiology, 31 , 571–580.

Looyestyn, J., Kernot, J., Boshoff, K., & Maher, C. (2018). A web-based, social networking beginners’ running intervention for adults aged 18 to 50 years delivered via a facebook group: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20 (2), 1–13.

Ogden, J. (2004). Health psychology : A textbook. Open University Press.

Pechmann, C., Pan, L., Delucchi, K,, Lakon, C. M., Prochaska, J. J. (2015). Development of a Twitter-based intervention for smoking cessation that encourages high-quality social media interactions via auto messages. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17 (2).

Prochaska, J, O., Di Clemente, C. C., & Norcross, J. C. (1992). In search of how people change—Applications to addictive behaviors. American Psychologist, 47 , 1102–1114.

Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51 (3), 390–395.

Rimal, R. N., & Lapinski, M. K. (2009). Why health communication is important in public health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87 (4), 247–247a. https://doi.org/10.2471/blt.08.056713

Rimer, B. & Glanz, K. (2005). Theory at a glance. A guide for health promotion practice , 2nd ed. US Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/theory pdf.

Rogers, E. M. (1996). The field of health communication today: An up-to-date report. Journal of Health Communication, 1 (1), 15–23.

Rogers, E. M., & Storey, J. D. (1987). Communication campaigns. In C. R. Berger & S. H. Chaffee (Eds.), Handbook of communication science (pp. 817–846). Sage Publications Inc.

Rosenstock, I. M., Strecher, V. J., & Becker, M. H. (1994). The health belief model and HIV risk behavior change. In R. J. DiClemente & J. L. Peterson (Eds.), Preventing AIDS: Theories and methods of behavioral interventions (pp. 5–24). Plenum.

Sampson, R. J., Raudenbush, S. W., & Earls, F. (1997). Neighborhoods and violent crime: A multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science, 277 , 918–924.

Smith, M. J. (1982). Persuasion and human action: A review and critique of social influence theories . Wadsworth.

Struik, L. L., Baskerville, N. B. (2014). The role of facebook in crush the crave, a mobile-and social media-based smoking cessation intervention: Qualitative framework analysis of posts. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16 (7).

Wallack, L. (1981). Mass media Campaigns: The odds against finding behavior change. Health Education Quarterly., 8 (3), 209–260.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2008). Behavior change strategies and health: The role of health systems. EUR/RC58/10. WHO.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

IIHMR University, Jaipur, India

Neetu Purohit

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neetu Purohit .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

S. D. Gupta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Purohit, N. (2022). Health Communication and Behavior Change. In: Gupta, S.D. (eds) Healthcare System Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3076-8_12

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3076-8_12

Published : 14 September 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-19-3075-1

Online ISBN : 978-981-19-3076-8

eBook Packages : Social Sciences Social Sciences (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Relationships

Why Communication Matters

We communicate to create, maintain, and change relationships and selves..

Posted July 15, 2021 | Reviewed by Vanessa Lancaster

• Why Relationships Matter
• Take our Relationship Satisfaction Test
• Find a therapist to strengthen relationships
• How we communicate helps relationships get off on the right foot, navigate problems, and change over time.
• In communication, we develop, create, maintain, and alter our relationships.
• We communicate to work our way through family changes and challenges in verbal and non-verbal ways.

I remember seeing a poster on my junior high classroom wall: “Communication is the Beginning of Understanding.” This spoke to me at the time. Yet, like so many people, I had never really thought much about communication. I would have described communication as sending and receiving messages.

Communication Is More Than Sending and Receiving Messages

In reality, communication is often about transmitting information. We send and receive messages with people in our lives. Daily, much of our communication consists of coordinating schedules, “What time are you getting home for dinner?” and negotiating whose turn it is to do the dishes, pay the bills, or take dinner to a friend who is ill. We send messages like, “It is your turn to let the dog out” and receive messages like, “Don’t forget to get dog food at the store” (if you have not guessed, a lot of the messages in my house are about the dog).

We might also blame problems on communication, talking about “communication breakdowns” or on a “lack of communication.” If we think about communication in these ways, we have missed so much that is important about communication. We have neglected how and why communication matters.

Communication Matters to Creating and Changing Relationships

We become aware of how Communication Matters when

• We confront issues with work-life balance.
• We experience positive events like the birth of a baby or winning an award.
• We have a friend does who does not do or say what we expect.
• We have disagreements over religious beliefs or political values.

Both positive and challenging events affect, reflect, and change our identity and the identity of our personal and family relationships. What do I mean by this? How did these relationships come into being? Well, think about the last time you started a new friendship or had a new member join your family. Through what you and the other person said and did, what we’d call verbal and nonverbal communication , these relationships took shape.

Sometimes relationships develop easily and clearly. They are healthy and pleasant. Other times, relationships develop in stress and storm and may be healthy or not. How we communicate helps relationships get off on the right foot, navigate problems, and change over time.

What is important to understand is that relationships are talked into (and out of) being. In communication, we develop, create, maintain, and alter our relationships. As we communicate, we become and change who we are. Think about how you have grown and changed as you communicate at home, at work, with friends, and in your community.

Communication Matters to Relationship and Family Identity

As we communicate, we co-create relationships and our own identity. As you think about your close relationships and your family, you can likely recall important events, both positive and negative, that impacted how you understand your relationship and yourself as a person.

Consider this example: one of my college students described a childhood family ritual of going out on the front lawn on Christmas Eve. The family sang Christmas carols and threw carrots on the roof for Santa’s reindeers. The family still does this annual carrot-throwing ritual in adulthood. You can picture them bringing their sometimes confused new partners and spouses out in the snow to throw carrots onto the roof and sing.

Why does this family still throw carrots and sing? Through this seemingly silly ritual, the family celebrates who they are as a family and the togetherness that is important to them. The family creates space for new people to join the family. Through their words and actions, members of the family teach their new partners how to be family members through carrot throwing and other vital experiences.

I am sure you can point to experiences that have been central to creating your relationships and your identity.

Communication Matters as We Face Change and Challenges

We also communicate to work our way through family changes and challenges. Family members or others may have different expectations of what our family and personal identity or should be. This is especially true when a family does not fit dominant cultural models, such as single-parent families, multi-ethnic families, stepfamilies, LGBTQ families, or adoptive families.

For me, becoming a stepfamily was highly challenging. We became a stepfamily when I was 12 years old. My mother had recently died, and my Dad surprised us, kids, introducing us to the woman he wanted to marry. We no longer matched the other families in the neighborhood where we’d lived most of our lives. We certainly did not feel like a family overnight.

It took my stepfamily several years to create an understanding of what it meant to be a family. As we interacted, and with many mistakes and some successes, we slowly came to understand what we needed and expected from each other to be a family.

For all of us, relationship and family identity is constantly developing and changing. In my case, I remember my stepmom reminding me to wear a jacket when going out in the evening, even into my 40s, and giving me advice about my health. At some point, our roles changed, and now, as she moves toward her 80s, more often than not, I am in the role of asking about her health and helping her with significant decisions. What it means to be a mother or daughter and what we expect of each other and ourselves change as we interact.

Communication Matters . Whether we are negotiating whose turn it is to feed the dog, how to become a parent, how to interact with a difficult co-worker, or how to celebrate with a friend who won a major award, it is in communication that we learn what to do and say. This is what I will write about in this blog as I reflect on what I have learned as a professor and researcher of interpersonal and family communication. I invite you to go on this journey with me. I hope to give you insights into your communication.

Communication Matters. Communication is the Beginning of Understanding . It is an exciting and ever-changing journey.

Baxter, L. A. (2004). Relationships as dialogues. Personal Relationships, 11 , 1-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2004.00068.x

Braithwaite, D. O., Foster, E. A., & Bergen, K. M. (2018). Social construction theory: Communication co-creating families. In D. O. Braithwaite, E. A. Suter, & K. Floyd. (Eds.). Engaging theories in family communication: Multiple perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 267-278). Routledge.

Braithwaite, D. O., Waldron, V. R., Allen, J., Bergquist, G., Marsh, J., Oliver, B., Storck, K., Swords, N., & Tschampl-Diesing, C. (2018). “Feeling warmth and close to her”: Communication and resilience reflected in turning points in positive adult stepchild-stepparent relationships. Journal of Family Communication, 18 , 92-109. doi: 10.1080/15267431.2017.1415902

Dawn O. Braithwaite, Ph.D., a professor of communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studies families and close relationships, especially step- and chosen families.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

10 Ways of Adapting Communication Style in Health and Social Care

September 8, 2024

Table of Contents

Active Listening : Focus on truly hearing what individuals say, using techniques like summarising and open-ended questions to encourage sharing and build trust. Simplifying Language : Avoid jargon by using plain language and breaking down complex information, making it easier for service users to understand. Non-Verbal Communication : Pay attention to body language and facial expressions, as they can convey empathy and support, reinforcing verbal messages. Cultural Competence : Respect diverse communication styles and consider using interpreters when language barriers exist, ensuring that everyone receives the care they need without misunderstanding.

Effective communication in health and social care is vital. It ensures that individuals receive appropriate, timely care and support tailored to their needs. Different people have different communication needs, influenced by factors such as age, culture, language, disability, and mental health.

Adapting communication styles enhances understanding and trust. Below are ten ways to adapt your communication style for optimal care delivery.

Understanding Individual Needs

1. active listening.

Active listening is more than just hearing words. It involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is being said. In health and social care, this is crucial. It helps build trust and rapport between the caregiver and the recipient.

Techniques :

• Nod and show verbal acknowledgements like “I see” or “Go on”
• Summarise or paraphrase what the person has said
• Ask open-ended questions to encourage elaboration

Active listening makes the person feel valued and understood, which can enhance their willingness to share crucial information.

2. Simplifying Language

Healthcare jargon can be overwhelming. Simplifying language makes communication more accessible and ensures that care recipients understand the information.

Strategies :

• Use plain English terms
• Break down complex information into smaller, manageable parts
• Use analogies or examples relevant to the person’s experience

For instance, instead of saying “Myocardial infarction”, you might say “heart attack”, which is common terminology.

Non-Verbal Communication

3. body language.

Non-verbal cues can be just as informative as verbal communication . Body language can convey empathy, understanding, and support.

Key Points :

• Maintain appropriate eye contact to show engagement
• Use gestures to emphasise important points
• Adopt an open posture to signal openness and willingness to listen

Remember, inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal messages can lead to confusion.

4. Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can convey emotions without words. They help to clarify spoken communication and can reassure patients who may have hearing difficulties.

• Smile to express warmth and friendliness
• Frown gently when expressing concern or empathy
• Use expressions that match the emotional tone of the conversation

Being mindful of your facial expressions can significantly impact how your communication is received.

Cultural Competence

5. respectful language.

People from diverse backgrounds and cultures have different communication styles and customs. It is important to show respect and sensitivity to these differences.

• Learn basic greetings in the person’s language if possible
• Respect cultural norms around eye contact, personal space, and gestures
• Avoid making assumptions; ask questions if unsure

By being culturally aware, you can tailor your communication to be more inclusive and respectful.

6. Using Interpreters

When there is a language barrier, using an interpreter can facilitate better communication and ensure that important information is accurately shared and understood.

• Arrange for a professional interpreter who respects confidentiality
• Speak directly to the person, not the interpreter
• Allow time for interpretation

This ensures that language differences do not hinder the quality of care provided.

Adapting to Disabilities

7. written communication aids.

For individuals with hearing impairments or those who process information better visually, written communication can be invaluable.

• Provide written summaries of important points
• Use pictures or symbols to reinforce understanding
• Ensure written text is clear, large, and easy to read

Supplementing spoken word with written aids can help ensure comprehensive understanding.

8. Assistive Technology

Assistive technology can support communication, particularly for those with disabilities impacting speech, hearing, or vision.

• Use speech-to-text applications for those with hearing impairments
• Employ text-to-speech programs for individuals with visual impairments
• Utilise communication boards for those who find verbal communication challenging

Technology can bridge communication gaps, making interactions smoother and more effective.

Building Rapport and Trust

9. consistent and open communication.

Consistency in communication style builds trust. Health and social care recipients often see various professionals; consistent messaging is key to preventing confusion.

• Provide regular updates on care plans
• Be transparent about what they can expect
• Encourage feedback and address concerns promptly

This helps establish a coherent and reassuring communication network.

10. Empathy and Compassion

Displaying empathy and compassion allows you to connect on an emotional level, making recipients feel understood and valued.

Expressions :

• Validate feelings by acknowledging emotions
• Use comforting words and tones
• Show patience and understanding, even in difficult conversations

Empathic communication fosters a supportive environment conducive to healing and cooperation.

Adapting communication styles in health and social care is foundational for delivering effective and empathetic care. Every person is unique, with specific needs and preferences. As professionals, recognising and respecting these differences by adapting our communication approach can significantly enhance client satisfaction and health outcomes. This necessitates vigilance, a willingness to learn continuously, and a commitment to cultural competence and respect for individual variances. In today’s diverse and dynamic care environments, these skills are more vital than ever. By honing these communication strategies, health and social care practitioners can make a profound impact on the lives of those they serve.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Follow us on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! We review all negative feedback and will aim to improve this article.

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Pinterest

Related Posts

What are Communication Care Plans in Health and Social Care?

What is a Formal Relationship in Health and Social Care?

How to Use the RACI Chart in Health and Social Care

What is the Bolo Method in Health and Social Care?

You cannot copy content of this page

Health Communication Essays

Exploring the discourse of hiv/aids in east african health communication: a corpus linguistic review, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

Academic Support for Nursing Students

No notifications.

Disclaimer: This essay has been written by a student and not our expert nursing writers. View professional sample essays here.

View full disclaimer

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NursingAnswers.net. This essay should not be treated as an authoritative source of information when forming medical opinions as information may be inaccurate or out-of-date.

The Importance Of Health Communication

Info: 4615 words (18 pages) Nursing Essay Published: 11th Feb 2020

Reference this

Tagged: communication

If you need assistance with writing your nursing essay, our professional nursing essay writing service is here to help!

Introduction

Review of literature, health communication: –.

Our nursing and healthcare experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have, from simple essay plans, through to full nursing dissertations.

Health Education: –

Nutbeam,d health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century , health promotion international, vol. 15, no. 3, 259-267, september 2000, cite this work.

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:

Related Services

• Nursing Essay Writing Service

• Nursing Dissertation Service

• Reflective Writing Service

Related Content

Content relating to: "communication"

Communication in nursing is vital to quality and safe nursing care. There is evidence that continues to show that breakdowns in communication can be responsible for many medication errors, unnecessary health care costs and inadequate care to the patient

Related Articles

Identify The Nurse Patient Relationship Nursing Essay

A nurse with good communication skill is someone who really listens to the patients, understands their problems and queries and answers in a way the patients will understand. Communication in nursing ...

Good Communication Skills Of Health Workers Nursing Essay

Describe an example of communication from your recent clinical experience and discuss the factors that contributed to its outcome “Most people have felt anger and helplessness at not being liste...

Communicating in Health and Social Care

The Health and social care sector in the United Kingdom is a vast sector and it constitutes of different aspect of care to different types of service users. There are many relevant theories which is a...

DMCA / Removal Request

If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on the NursingAnswers.net website then please:

Our academic writing and marking services can help you!

• Marking Service
• Samples of our Work
• Full Service Portfolio

Related Lectures

Study for free with our range of nursing lectures!

• Drug Classification
• Emergency Care
• Health Observation
• Palliative Care
• Professional Values

Write for Us

Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher in nursing or healthcare?

Study Resources

Free resources to assist you with your nursing studies!

• APA Citation Tool
• Example Nursing Essays
• Example Nursing Assignments
• Example Nursing Case Studies
• Reflective Nursing Essays
• Nursing Literature Reviews
• Free Resources
• Reflective Model Guides
• Nursing and Healthcare Pay 2021

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• BMC Health Serv Res
• PMC10464255

Quality communication can improve patient-centred health outcomes among older patients: a rapid review

Samer h. sharkiya.

Faculty of Graduate Studies, Arab American University, 13 Zababdeh, P.O Box 240, Jenin, Palestine

Associated Data

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article [and its supplementary information files].

Effective communication is a cornerstone of quality healthcare. Communication helps providers bond with patients, forming therapeutic relationships that benefit patient-centred outcomes. The information exchanged between the provider and patient can help in medical decision-making, such as better self-management. This rapid review investigated the effects of quality and effective communication on patient-centred outcomes among older patients.

Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched using keywords like “effective communication,“ “elderly,“ and “well-being.“ Studies published between 2000 and 2023 describing or investigating communication strategies between older patients (65 years and above) and providers in various healthcare settings were considered for selection. The quality of selected studies was assessed using the GRADE Tool.

The search strategy yielded seven studies. Five studies were qualitative (two phenomenological study, one ethnography, and two grounded theory studies), one was a cross-sectional observational study, and one was an experimental study. The studies investigated the effects of verbal and nonverbal communication strategies between patients and providers on various patient-centred outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, quality of care, quality of life, and physical and mental health. All the studies reported that various verbal and non-verbal communication strategies positively impacted all patient-centred outcomes.

Although the selected studies supported the positive impact of effective communication with older adults on patient-centred outcomes, they had various methodological setbacks that need to be bridged in the future. Future studies should utilize experimental approaches, generalizable samples, and specific effect size estimates.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-023-09869-8.

Introduction

Excellent communication is critical for all health professionals [ 1 , 2 ]. It affects the quality of healthcare output, impacts the patient’s health and satisfaction, and benefits both patients and providers [ 3 ]. Communication is a critical clinical competence because it establishes trust between providers and patients, creating a therapeutic relationship [ 4 ]. Physician-patient communication plays several functions, including making decisions, exchanging information, improving the physician-patient relationship, managing the patient’s doubts, addressing emotions, and enhancing self-management [ 5 ]. Features of effective or quality communication include involving patients in decisions, allowing patients to speak without interruptions, encouraging a patient to ask questions and answering the questions, using a language that the patient understands, paying attention to the patient and discussing the next steps [ 5 ]. This communication also includes listening, developing a good interpersonal relationship, and making patient-centred management plans.

The quality of patient-physician communication influences various patient-centred outcomes [ 6 ]. In this review, patient-centred outcomes refer to all the outcomes that contribute to the recovery or indicate the recovery of patients, as well as suggest positive experiences with the care process. For instance, effective communication is associated with enhanced patient satisfaction, regulating emotions, and increasing compliance, leading to improved health and better outcomes [ 7 , 8 ]. According to [ 9 ], quality communication enhances patients’ trust in their providers, making patients more satisfied with the treatment. A trusting provider-patient relationship causes individuals to believe they receive better care [ 10 ]. For instance, [ 11 ] report that effective provider-patient communication improves social, somatic, and psychological health. During communication, the provider may enhance positive motivations and involve the individual in treatment decisions. Communication helps patients to acknowledge their illnesses, the associated risks, and the advantages of consistent treatment [ 5 ]. note that mutual communication between providers and patients stimulates or strengthens patients’ perception of control over their health, the knowledge to discern symptoms and self-care and identify changes in their condition. Effective communication leads to improved perceived quality of health care [ 12 ]. report that physician-patient communication influences the perceived quality of healthcare services. All these outcomes that suggest or contribute to patient’s positive experiences or imply a positive recovery journey, such as shorter hospital stays, are considered patient-centred outcomes.

This rapid review aims to review studies that have previously investigated the influence of quality communication on patient-centred outcomes among older adults, such as psychological well-being, quality of health care, emotional well-being, cognitive well-being, individualised care, health status, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. The specific objectives include (a) exploring the strategies used to ensure quality and effective communication with older patients in various healthcare settings, (b) exploring the patient-centred health outcomes reported by previous studies investigating quality communication between providers and older patients, and (c) to link quality communication strategies with older patients to patient-centred health outcomes among older patients.

The primary rationale for conducting this rapid review is that although many studies have examined the relationship between quality communication and various patient-centred outcomes, few studies have used older patients as their participants. It is a significant research gap because older adults have unique communication needs, which, if not considered, their communication with healthcare providers could be ineffective [ 13 ]. For example, older adults experience age-related changes in cognition, perception, and sensation, which can interfere with the communication process [ 14 ]. As a result, more research is needed to the specific quality communication strategies that could improve patient-centred outcomes among older adults. To my knowledge, no systematic review has focused on this topic. Therefore, this is the first rapid review to explore quality communication and its impact on patient-centred health outcomes among older patients in various healthcare settings.

This rapid review’s findings could inform practitioners of the quality communication strategies they can use to improve patient-reported outcomes. Besides, the rapid review evaluates the quality of studies investigating this matter and makes informed recommendations for future research to advance knowledge on this subject.

This rapid review was conducted in conformity with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines [ 15 ]. The main difference between a systematic review and a rapid review is that the former strictly conforms to the PRISMA protocol, whereas the latter can miss a few elements of a typical systematic review. A rapid review was suitable because a single reviewer was involved in the study selection process, whereas at least two independent reviewers are recommended in typical systematic reviews [ 16 ].

Eligibility criteria

Table  1 below summarises the inclusion and exclusion criteria used to guide study selection in this rapid review. Also, justification is provided for each inclusion/exclusion criteria. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were drafted based on the target population, the intervention, the outcomes, year of publication, article language, and geographical location. This approach corresponds with the PICO (P – population, I – intervention, C – comparison, and O – outcomes) framework [ 17 ].

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Information sources

Four academic databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. These databases were used as sources of information because they publish studies in healthcare sciences on a wide range of topics, including communication and the health outcomes of various interventions. Additionally, Google Scholar was searched to supplement the databases because it indexes academic journal articles in all disciplines, including healthcare. Combining Google Scholar with these databases has been recommended for an optimal search strategy [ 18 ].

Search strategy

Various search terms related to the critical variables of this rapid review, namely quality communication, patient-centred health outcomes, and older patients, were combined using Boolean connectors (AND & OR). Regarding quality communication, some of the keywords that were used include “quality communication,“ “effective communication,“ “doctor-patient communication,“ and “patient-centred communication.“ The keywords that were used for patient-centred outcomes included “well-being,“ “patient satisfaction,“ “quality of care,“ “health status,“ and “quality of life.“ The search terms related to older patients included “nursing home residents,“ “older,“ and “elderly.“ Additionally, since most older patients are institutionalised, search terms like “nursing homes” and “assisted living facilities” were used in the search strategy. Table  2 below presents a sample search strategy executed on PubMed between September 2022 and July 2023. As shown in Table  2 , Mesh terms were used alongside regular keywords. Truncations on the three keywords, namely elderly, nursing homes, and geriatric were used to allow more of their variations to be captured in the search. The use of Mesh terms was only performed on PubMed – Mesh terms are only supported on PubMed and MEDLINE. The rest of the sources of information were searched using the search terms without specifying whether they are Mesh terms or not.

Study selection process

One reviewer (the author) was involved in screening the studies. The reviewer screened each record at least twice for confirmation purposes. Afterwards, an automation tool called ASReview which relies on machine learning to screen textual data was used as a second confirmation [ 19 ]. Research has shown that combining a machine learning tool and a single reviewer can significantly reduce the risk of missing relevant records [ 20 ]. This decision was reached based on previous research that has also demonstrated the good sensitivity of ASReview as a study selection tool in systematic reviews [ 19 ]. The software was trained on the eligibility criteria and the broader context of this study before it was used to screen the studies and confirm the reviewer’s decision. Therefore, if a record were retrieved, the author would screen for its eligibility the first time and confirm it the second time. For the third time confirmation, ASReview was employed. In case of disagreement between the author’s first and second attempts, a third attempt could be made to resolve it. In case of disagreement between the author’s first/second/third attempts and ASReview, a fourth attempt was made to resolve it.

Data collection process

One reviewer (the author) extracted data from the qualifying records. The reviewer could collect data from a given study in the first round, record them, and confirm them in the second round. In case of disagreement between the first and second rounds, the author would extract data from the record for the third time to resolve it. The data points on which data extraction was based include the country where the study was conducted, the study’s research design (if reported), the population and setting of the study, the characteristics of the intervention (communication), and outcomes. Also, the author remained keen to identify ways the studies defined quality or effective communication in the context of older patient care. Regarding the characteristics of the intervention, some of the data sought included the type of communication (e.g., verbal or non-verbal) and the specific communicative strategies, such as touch and active listening.

Regarding outcomes, ‘patient-centred outcomes’ was used as an umbrella term for several variables that relate to the patient’s subjective well-being. Such variables include perceptions of quality of care, quality of life, symptom management, physical health, mental health, health literacy, patient satisfaction, individualised care, and overall well-being, including social processes, self-actualisation, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and psychosocial well-being. If studies reported on the acceptance and usability of communicative strategies, it was also included as a patient-centred outcome because the patient accepts a specific intervention and acknowledges its usability.

Study quality assessment

The study quality assessment in this rapid review entailed the risk of bias and certainty assessments. Risk of bias assessment formed an essential aspect of certainty assessment. The risk of bias in qualitative studies was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Qualitative Checklist [ 21 ]; the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool was used for randomised studies [ 22 ]; and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used for cross-sectional observational studies [ 23 ]. The Grading for Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to assess the certainty of the evidence for all study designs [ 24 ]. The risk of bias in each study design and its corresponding assessment tool was calculated as a percentage of the total points possible. For example, the CASP Qualitative Checklist has ten items; each awarded one point. If a study scored seven out of 10 possible points, its risk of bias would be rated as 70%. The GRADE Tool has five domains, namely risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias. The first domain, risk of bias, was populated using the findings of risk of bias assessment using the stated tools. The overall quality of a study was based upon all five domains of the GRADE Tool.

Synthesis methods

Both qualitative and quantitative studies were included in this review. The studies were highly heterogeneous in their research designs hence statistical methods like a meta-analysis synthesis were impossible [ 25 ]. Besides, the studies also had substantial heterogeneity in the study settings (some were conducted in primary care settings, but a majority were conducted in long-term care facilities/nursing homes) and outcomes. The studies measured different outcomes under the umbrella variable of patient-centred outcomes. As such, a narrative synthesis approach was considered the most suitable [ 26 ]. The narrative synthesis guidance by [ 27 ] was used. The first step based on the guidelines should be developing a theoretical model of how the interventions work, why, and for whom.

This rapid review’s explanation of how effective or quality communication leads to improved patient-centred outcomes in the introduction section formed the theoretical basis, that is, effective communication facilitates informational exchange between the patient and provider, leading to better decision-making, which positively influences patient outcomes The second step of a narrative synthesis entails organising findings from the included studies to describe patterns across the studies based on the direction of the effect size or effects [ 27 ]. The third step is to explore the relationship in the data by identifying the reasons for the direction of effects or effect size. This rapid review’s reasons were based on the theoretical notions outlined above in this paragraph. The final step is to provide insights into the generalizability of the findings to other populations, which, in the process, further research gaps can be outlined. The results are stated below.

Study selection

After running the search strategy, 40 articles were identified from PubMed, 13 from Google Scholar (records identified from websites (Fig.  1 )), 24 from Scopus, 18 from CINHAL, and 10 from PsycINFO based on the relevance of the titles. It was discovered that 26 were duplicated records between databases and Google Scholar, which reduced the number of identified records to 79. Further, the automation tool (ASReview) marked five records as ineligible based on their title considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These articles were excluded because the author confirmed in the fourth round that they were ineligible. After realising they did not focus on older adults, the author excluded three more records. Therefore, 71 records were screened using their abstracts with the help of ASReview (64 records from databases and 7 records from Google Scholar), whereby 44 were excluded (40 records from databases and 4 records from Google Scholar) for various reasons, such as being expert opinions and professional development based on field experiences (e.g., [ 28 ]) and did not have a methodology. The remaining 27 records (24 records from databases and 3 records from Google Scholar) were sought for retrieval, whereby one was excluded because its full text was inaccessible. The remaining 26 articles (23 records from databases and 3 records from Google Scholar) were assessed for eligibility with the help of ASReview, whereby eight records were excluded because they did not report their methodologies (e.g., [ 29 ]), another eight were secondary studies (e.g., [ 30 ]), and three were non-peer-reviewed preprints. Therefore, seven studies met the eligibility criteria for this rapid review.

PRISMA Flowchart summarising the study selection process

Study characteristics

Out of the seven studies, one was an experimental study [ 31 ], one was a cross-sectional observational study [ 32 ], and five were qualitative studies [ 33 – 37 ]. As shown in Table  3 , most of the studies (n = 4) were conducted in the United States. The following countries produced one study each: Australia, Cameroon, the Netherlands, and Hungary. Although all the studies utilised a sample of older patients, the characteristics of the patients differed from one study to another. The studies ranged from primary care settings [ 36 ] and adult medical wards [ 37 ] to long-term care facilities like nursing homes. Apart from [ 36 ], the rest of the studies investigated various non-verbal communication strategies with older adults and their impact on various types of patient-centred outcomes, ranging from health-related outcomes (e.g., smoking cessation) to patient-reported outcomes, such as patient satisfaction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. These outcomes are within the broader umbrella category of patient-centred m outcomes.

Characteristics of included studies

Further, the studies used different types of communicative strategies that can be used to enhance or promote patient-centred outcomes. In this rapid review, they were categorised into seven, namely (a) touching, (b) smiling, (c) gaze, head nod, and eyebrow movement, (d) active listening, (e) close physical distance, and (f) use of visual aids, and (g) telephone communication. Table  4 summarises the various ways in which each study described its interventions.

Description of interventions used in studies

Quality assessment findings

All seven studies were of high quality based on the GRADE Tool-based Assessment. However, [ 31 ] conducted an experimental study, but they did not provide any details indicating whether there was concealment in participant allocation and blinding of participants and outcome assessors. Therefore, it has a high likelihood of risk of bias. However, they scored excellently in the other domains of the GRADE Tool. All five qualitative studies and the cross-sectional observational study also scored excellently in the domains of the GRADE Tool, apart from the imprecision domain where they could not be scored because none of them reported effect sizes (Table  5 ).

Quality assessment using the GRADE Tool

Results of individual studies

[ 31 ] was the only experimental study used in this rapid review investigating the effect of comfort touch on older patients’ perceptions of well-being, self-esteem, health status, social processes, life satisfaction, self-actualisation, and self-responsibility. The authors did not report the effect sizes but indicated that comforting touch had a statistically significant effect on each of the five variables. In summary, the authors suggested that comfort touch, characterised by a handshake or a pat on the shoulders, forearm, or hand, had a statistically significant positive impact on the various patient-centred outcomes reported in their study. For each variable, the authors used three groups, the first and second control groups and the third experimental group. After delivering the intervention, they investigated whether the scores of these variables changed between three-time points in each of the three groups. The first time point was the baseline data collected before intervention was initiated; the second was two weeks after baseline data; and the third was four weeks after baseline data. The authors found that in each of the five variables, the scores remained almost the same in the three-time points for the two control groups, but there were significant improvements in the experimental group (the one that received the intervention). For example, the self-esteem variable was measured using Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, with the highest attainable score of 40. In the first control group, the score remained 27.00, 27.27, and 27.13 for Time 1 (baseline), Time 2 (after two weeks), and Time 3 (after four weeks), respectively. The same trend was observed in the second control group. However, in the experimental group, the score improved from 29.17 at baseline to 36.00 at Time 2 and 37.47 at Time 3. These findings suggest that comfort touch was highly effective in improving self-esteem among older patients. The same significant improvements were evident for all the other variables (p.184).

While all the other studies focused on nonverbal communication cues, [ 36 ] focused on telephone communication. They aimed to investigate the effect of a tailored intervention on health behaviour change in older adults delivered through telephone communication. Therefore, the primary rationale for selecting this study for review is that it used a specific communicative strategy (telephone) to deliver the intervention, which is the primary purpose of effective communication in most healthcare settings. The older patients used as participants in this study lived with COPD. The nurses trained to administer the intervention made regular phone calls over 12 months. The intervention was delivered to 90 participants. Of these, 65 were invited for interviews at the end of 12 months. One of the most important outcomes relevant to this rapid review is that the participants reported “being listened to by a caring health professional.“ It means that regular telephone communication improved the patient’s perceptions of the quality of care. Other critical patient-centred outcomes that improved due to this intervention include many participants quitting smoking and increased awareness of COPD effects.

[ 34 ] also conducted a qualitative study but needed to specify the specific research design, which was generally non-experimental. The authors used formative evaluation and a participatory approach to develop a communicative intervention for older adults with limited health literacy. In other words, apart from literature reviews, the authors involved the target population in developing a curated story to improve their health literacy. They developed photo and video-based stories by incorporating narrative and social learning theories. The most important finding of this study was that the authors found the developed communicative strategy appealing and understandable. Such observations imply that the participants’ health literacy also likely improved even though the authors did not evaluate it.

Further, using a sample of 155 older patients, [ 32 ] investigated the relationship between the communication characteristics between nursing practitioners and the older patients and patients’ proximal outcomes, namely patient satisfaction and intention to adhere to the NPs’ recommendations, and patients’ long-term outcomes (presenting problems and physical and mental health). The proximal outcomes (satisfaction and intention to adhere) were measured after visits, whereas the long-term outcomes (presenting problems, mental health, and physical health) were measured at four weeks. The communication and relationship components observed include various non-verbal communication strategies: smile, gaze, touch, eyebrow movement, head nod, and handshakes. The authors recorded videos during patient-provider interactions. These communicative strategies were measured using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (independent variable).

In contrast, the other outcomes (dependent variables) outlined above were each measured separately with a validated tool or single-item instruments [ 32 ]. For example, presenting problems were measured with a single-item instrument, whereas the physical and mental health changes at four weeks were measured using the SF-12 Version 2 Health Survey. The authors found that verbal and nonverbal communication strategies focused on providing patients with biomedical and psychosocial information and positive talk characterised by receptivity and trust were associated with better patient outcomes, such as significant improvements in mental and physical health at four weeks. Although the study did not report effect sizes, the findings agree that effective and quality communication can improve patient-centred outcomes like patient satisfaction.

[ 35 ] conducted a qualitative study with focus groups (eight focus groups with a range of three to nine participants) of 15 older adults in a nursing home. The study used an ethnographic qualitative design. The nonverbal communication strategies observed in this study included active listening (including verbal responses) and touching. The authors found that the characteristics of the communication strategies that make communication quality and effective include mutual respect, equity, and addressing conflict. The patients perceived that their nursing aides gave them better-individualised care if their relationship and communication were characterised by mutual respect. Portraying mutual respect includes showing the patients that they are being listened to and heard, which can include calling them by their names and showing signs of active listening. Some residents (older patients) complained that some nursing aides had favouritism, whereby they liked some patients and not others. When such a perception emerges, the patients could perceive the treatment as unjust, compromising individualised care quality. Also, nursing aides must equip themselves with communicative strategies to address conflict rather than avoid it. For example, knowing about the patient’s history can help nursing aides understand their behaviour in the facility, improving prospects of providing better personalised or individualised care.

[ 33 ] also conducted a qualitative study utilising a sample of 17 older adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the United States. They aimed to identify the types and examples of nurse-aide-initiated communication with long-term care residents during mealtime assistance in the context of the residents’ responses. Using a naturalistic approach, the researchers observed communicative interactions between the nurse aides and the residents during mealtime assistance. Videos were recorded and transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory approach. They found that apart from emotional support, nonverbal communication strategies were used by nurse aides to address the residents, initiate and maintain personal conversations, and check-in. Although the authors did not provide statistical proof that these communication strategies improved well-being, their findings can inform future studies.

Finally, [ 37 ] conducted a qualitative, grounded theory study to develop a model for effective non-verbal communication between nurses and older patients. The authors conducted overt observations of patient-nurse interactions using a sample of eight older patients. They found that the nature of nonverbal communication to be employed depends on the context or environment, and certain external factors influence it. The factors influencing nonverbal communication include the nurses’ intrinsic factors, positive views of older adults, awareness of nonverbal communication, and possession of nonverbal communication skills. Patient factors that can also influence the effectiveness of nonverbal communication include positive moods, financial situations, and non-critical medical conditions. The model developed also emphasised that non-verbal communication, if carried out correctly considering context and environment, can lead to positive outcomes, such as increased adherence to providers’ recommendations, improved quality of care, and shorter hospital stays.

Results of syntheses

Four themes emerged from the narrative synthesis: nonverbal communication, verbal communication, communication strategies, and patient-centred outcomes. Table  6 summarises the subthemes that emerged under each theme. They are discussed below.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication was a critical theme that emerged in several studies. Five out of the seven studies investigated the effectiveness of touch on various patient-centred outcomes [ 31 ]. found that nonverbal communication strategies such as comfort touch, characterised by a handshake or a pat on the shoulders, forearm, or hand, had a statistically significant positive impact on patient-centred outcomes, such as well-being, self-esteem, health status, social processes, life satisfaction, self-actualisation, and self-responsibility [ 31 ]. implemented comfort touch exclusively without combining it with other nonverbal communication strategies. It means that comfort touch on its own can be effective in improving various patient-centred outcomes. As such, it can be hypothesised that if comfort touch is combined with other nonverbal communication strategies, such as active listening, eye gazing, smiling, maintaining a close distance, eyebrow movement, and nodding/shaking of the head can lead to even better results regarding patient-centred outcomes [ 32 , 33 , 35 , 37 ]. [ 35 ] identified active listening and touching as important nonverbal communication strategies that make communication quality and effective [ 33 ]. found that nurse-aide-initiated communication during mealtime assistance using nonverbal communication strategies, such as emotional support, smiling, laughing, touching, eye gazing, shaking hands, head nodding, leaning forward, and a soft tone were crucial in addressing the residents, initiating (and maintaining) personal conversations, and checking in. Finally, [ 37 ] developed a model that emphasised the importance of effective nonverbal communication in forming effective therapeutic relationships, promoting patient satisfaction, and improving the quality of care. An exhaustive list of the nonverbal communication approaches is shown in Table  6 .

In general, most studies, especially the qualitative ones, supported the utilisation of multiple non-verbal communication strategies in a single communicative episode. The studies also implied that it is the responsibility of healthcare providers to initiate and maintain effective nonverbal communication cues, such as those detailed in Table  6 . Additionally, it is important to note that it is only one study [ 31 ] that investigated the effectiveness of comfort touch on patient-centred outcomes. Therefore, the notion implied in qualitative studies that combining various nonverbal strategies could lead to a better improvement in patient-centred outcomes is subject to further empirical investigation. It was noted that there is a lack of empirical studies investigating how the combination of various non-verbal communication techniques or strategies can influence patient-centred outcomes, such as patient satisfaction and perceptions of quality of care.

Verbal communication

Four out of the seven studies implied that verbal communication improved patient-centred outcomes [ 32 , 34 – 36 ]. Effective and quality verbal communication was found to impact patient satisfaction positively [ 32 ], increased awareness of COPD effects [ 36 ], improved health literacy [ 34 ], presented problems [ 32 ], and mental and physical health [ 32 ]. It is worth noting that [ 32 ] used a cross-sectional survey approach and used regression analyses to investigate the relationship between communication and various patient-centred outcomes, such as patient satisfaction and mental and physical health. Also, it is important noting that the authors combined both verbal (e.g., more positive talk, greater trust, and receptivity) and non-verbal (e.g., smile, gazing, eyebrow movements, and interpersonal touches) in their study. Therefore, it can be a bit challenging to directly conclude that effective verbal communication alone without non-verbal communication is effective on its own in improving patient-centred outcomes. Similarly, [ 34 ] combined both narrative-based and picture-based communication strategies to give patients education about health literacy. Therefore, it can be challenging to know whether narratives comprising of verbal communication (and often non-verbal communication) can improve patient-centred outcomes on their own. The rest of the studies were qualitative [ 35 , 36 ], which means that their findings generally reflected the subjective experiences or opinions of their participants. Therefore, it can be said that although all the four studies supported verbal communication can effectively improve patient-centred outcomes, there is a need for future research to experimentally test its effectiveness without being combined with non-verbal communication strategies.

Moreover, two of the four studies implied that some conditions must be met for verbal communication to be effective [ 32 , 35 ]. some communication strategies, such as higher lifestyle discussion and rapport-building rates, were perceived as patronising and associated with poor outcomes [ 32 ]. Instead, the authors found that communication strategies like seeking and giving biomedical and psychosocial information were more effective in improving patient outcomes [ 32 ]. It implies that healthcare providers should be attentive and intentional of the topics they discuss with patients. Further, in their qualitative study, [ 35 ] found that effective verbal communication also requires mutual respect, equity, and addressing conflict. Indeed, it appears that certain communication strategies like lifestyle discussions can undermine the process of establishing trust, which is why they were associated with adverse patient outcomes. Also, unlike nonverbal communication, the studies that highlighted the effect of verbal communication on patient-centred outcomes did not provide rich descriptions of the specific verbal communication strategies that can be used in a face-to-face healthcare setting. The described strategies like using phone calls to regularly communicate with the patient without having to visit a healthcare facility and things to ensure when communicating with the older patient, such as mutual respect and avoiding too many discussions on lifestyle do not offer rich insights into the specific nature of the verbal communication strategies.

Communication strategies

In 3.5.2 above, it was shown that the sample of participants that [ 32 ] used in their study did not prefer discussions related with healthy lifestyles, which compromised patient-centred outcomes. Therefore, it was also important to determine the best approaches to formulate communication strategies that work. Two out of the seven studies implied how communication strategies can be formulated [ 34 , 36 ] [ 36 ]. found that a tailored intervention delivered through telephone communication improved patient perceptions of the quality of care. In this regard, the authors first identified the needs of the patients to guide the development of the tailored intervention, from which they might have obtained insights into the patients’ communication preferences [ 34 ]. found a participatory approach to developing a curated story that improves health literacy appealing and understandable. The findings emphasised the need for participatory approaches when developing communication interventions for patients with varied health and social needs. Although the studies did not compare or contrast the effectiveness of participatory-based communication strategies and non-participatory-based communication strategies, their findings provide useful insights into the significance of involving patients when developing them. From their findings, it can be anticipated that a participatory approach is more likely to yield better patient-centred outcomes than non-participatory-based communication strategies.

Patient-centred outcomes

All studies reviewed highlighted patient-centred outcomes as the goal of effective communication in older patients. Patient-centred outcomes included well-being, self-esteem, health status, social processes, life satisfaction, self-actualisation, and self-responsibility (Butt, 2001), as well as patient satisfaction [ 32 , 36 ], increased awareness of COPD effects [ 36 ], and improved health literacy [ 34 ]. Others included presenting problems, mental health, and physical health [ 32 ], as well as adherence to providers’ recommendations, improved quality of care, and shorter hospital stays [ 37 ]. All seven studies indicated that the various verbal and nonverbal communication approaches could improve these patient-centred outcomes. The consistency observed between the experimental study by [ 31 ], the qualitative studies, and other quantitative study designs implies the need to pay greater attention to verbal and non-verbal communication strategies used by healthcare professionals as they can directly influence numerous patient-centred outcomes. This consistency further implies that effective communication is the anchor of high-quality care, and its absence will always compromise patient-centred outcomes, such as satisfaction and health outcomes.

Discussion and conclusion

Discussion of findings.

In agreement with various studies and reviews conducted in younger populations [ 1 – 3 ], all the seven studies selected in this rapid review supported that effective communication is a cornerstone of improved patient-centred outcomes. Like [ 5 , 11 , 12 ], the studies reviewed in this rapid review also supported the idea that effective communication with older adults involves the combination of verbal and nonverbal communication cues. However, this rapid review went a step ahead to identify the specific conditions that must be present for effective verbal and nonverbal communication to take place, such as perceptions of equity, mutual respect, and addressing conflict instead of avoiding it. The qualitative studies used in this rapid review also offered rich descriptions of how providers use nonverbal communication strategies.

However, the main shortcoming of the seven studies reviewed is that none aimed to define or describe what constitutes effective communication with older adults, apart from [ 37 ], who described a model of nonverbal communication with older adults. The study was qualitative and only formed a theoretical basis of how effective nonverbal communication with older adults could be shaped. The theory developed needs to be tested in an experimental setting so that its effect size in improving patient-centred outcomes, such as quality of care, quality of life, patient satisfaction, and emotional and cognitive well-being, can be documented unbiasedly and validly. Therefore, as much as the reviewed studies agreed with younger populations regarding the positive effect of effective and quality communication on patient-centred outcomes [ 9 , 10 ], the methodological rigour of studies with older patients needs to be improved.

Although the individual studies reviewed in this rapid review had low risk of bias apart from [ 31 ], the screening was based on the judgment of the individual research designs. Otherwise, if the assessment had been done from the perspective of the focus of this rapid review, the risk of bias in studies could have been high in predicting the influence of effective communication on patient-centred outcomes. First, apart from [ 31 ], none of the studies used a random sample. The qualitative studies used purposively obtained samples, which means the risk of bias from an interventional perspective was high. However, the studies provided in-depth insights into the characteristics and features of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies that can be used to form and maintain provider-patient relationships.

Recommendations for practice and future research

The main recommendation for practice is that nurses and providers serving older patients must be aware of their verbal and non-verbal communication strategies. Besides, they should engage in continuous professional development to enhance their verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Combining a wide range of nonverbal communication, such as touching the patient on the shoulder or arm or even handshaking can help create strong bonds and relationships, which are key in an effective therapeutic relationship. The qualitative studies reviewed showed that nurses and other providers combine a wide range of nonverbal communication in a single interaction instance, such as eye gazing, nodding, touching, and eyebrow movement. Although studies on verbal communication were rare in this rapid review, some lessons learned from the few studies included (e.g., [ 36 ]) is that using telephones to communicate with older patients regularly is potentially effective in improving patient-centred outcomes like better self-management. The information shared by the nurse should be tailored to serve the specific health needs of older patients. For example, for COPD patients, a nurse can make regular calls to old patients to educate them about the importance of quitting smoking and alcohol to improve their health condition and better self-management. However, as [ 32 ] indicated, the nurse should be cautious about how to present the information to the client and be able to detect patronising discussions quickly. For example, the sample of adults used by [ 32 ] found that many lifestyle and rapport-building discussions with the nurse were patronising in ways that may be detrimental to patient-centred outcomes. Some of the strategies providers can employ to ensure that communication is not perceived as patronising by older patients include ensuring mutual respect (e.g., active listening as a sign of mutual respect), creating perceptions of equity rather than favouritism when communicating with multiple patients at a time, and solving conflicts rather than avoiding them, which entails extra efforts, such as understanding the patient’s behaviour in the past and present. Overall, although studies have not provided specific estimates of the effect sizes of effective communication on patient-centred outcomes among older adults, there is a general trend and consensus in studies that effective communication, nonverbal and verbal, is the cornerstone of high-quality healthcare.

Further, future research needs to address various gaps identified in this study. The first gap is that although [ 37 ] tried to develop a model of nonverbal communication with older adults, their study had some drawbacks that limited the comprehensiveness of the model. First, the authors used a sample of only eight older adults in two medical wards in Cameroon. Besides the small sample, the study was conducted in medical wards, which means its findings may not be generalisable to long-term care settings like nursing homes. More older adults who encounter healthcare professionals are admitted in long-term care facilities, calling for developing a more robust communication strategy. Second, [ 37 ] only focused on nonverbal communication, thereby providing limited practical applicability of the model since verbal and nonverbal communication co-exists in a single interactional instance. Therefore, there is a need to develop a model that provides a complete picture into what effective communication is like with older adults.

After developing a valid, reliable, and generalisable model for effective communication with older adults in various healthcare settings, future research should also focus on investigating the impact of such a model on patient-centred outcomes, such as quality of care, quality of life, patient satisfaction, and physical and mental health. More particularly, the developed model can be used to derive communication interventions, which can be applied and tested in various healthcare settings with older adults. That way, research on this subject matter will mature as more and more studies test the effectiveness of such a communication model in various settings and countries. All that is known in the literature is that effective verbal and nonverbal communication can help promote patient-centred outcomes among older adults.

Limitations

Although this rapid review was conducted rigorously by adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, the use of a single reviewer in the study selection process can undermine the quality of the review. When a single reviewer is involved, the probability of missing out relevant studies increases immensely. However, this limitation was mitigated in this review by using an automation tool in the study selection process. In was assumed that combining the automation tool with one independent reviewer could significantly reduce the probability of missing relevant studies.

Another possible limitation is that few studies have been conducted between 2000 and 2023 investigating the effect of effective communication on various patient-centred outcomes. Although the literature recognises the importance of effective communication, and there is a unanimous agreement between studies of various research designs that it is the cornerstone of quality of care, more studies need to be conducted examining how various communication strategies influence patient outcomes, both subjective and objective. For example, [ 31 ] investigated the effect of comfort touch. Other studies using empirical means (e.g., experiments) can also test the other strategies identified, such as eye gazing, head nodding, eyebrow movement, et cetera. In this way, a more specific and structured approach to communication in healthcare settings can be developed using the evidence base.

Moreover, I initially intended to review studies published within the past five years (2018–2023) but later learned there were insufficient studies meeting the eligibility criteria. Consequently, I adjusted the publication date to the past ten years (2013–2023). I also learned insufficient studies published within that period. Consequently, I chose the period of 2000–2023, which yielded seven studies. Thus, some of the studies included may not capture contemporary realities in healthcare settings, raising the need for more empirical studies on this topic.

This rapid review selected seven studies whose narrative synthesis demonstrated that effective verbal and non-verbal communication could improve patient-centred outcomes. However, the studies were mostly qualitative, and hence they only provided rich descriptions of how nurses and older patients communicate in various clinical settings. It is only one study (Butts, 2001) that was experimental. Still, its risk of bias was high since patients were not concealed to allocation, and participants and outcome assessors were not blinded. Future research needs to focus on deriving a valid, reliable, and generalisable communication model with older adults using a larger and more representative sample size of older patients. Such a model should encompass both verbal and nonverbal communication. After developing a robust model, the next phase of future studies is to derive interventions based on the model and then, through experimental research, test their effectiveness. In that way, a standard approach to communicating effectively and in quality will be achieved, which is yet to be achieved in the current studies.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Acknowledgements

I thank my wife and children for their patience and the great opportunity to devote a lot of time to doing the article in the best possible way.

Authors’ contributions

I am the primary and sole author of this article. My contribution to this article is a full contribution.

Data Availability

Declarations.

The authors declare no competing interests.

‘Not applicable’ for that section. The article is a rapid review type.

Not applicable.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

We've updated our Privacy Policy to make it clearer how we use your personal data. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. You can read our Cookie Policy here.

Cell Science

Stay up to date on the topics that matter to you

Cell‒Cell Communication in Health and Disease

Cells use a variety of mechanisms to transmit essential information, facilitating their growth, response and survival. But sometimes, things go wrong...

Miscommunication between cells can interfere with crucial signaling processes. By understanding these pathways and pinpointing the source of miscommunication, we can improve the management and treatment of disease.

• Explore various types of signaling and their roles in the body
• Learn how signals are transmitted and the potential consequences when they fail
• Discover techniques for studying cell communication

Search Icon

Events See all →

Incantation.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

Movable Books Opening

4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, 3420 Walnut St.

September 2024 Wellness Walk

LOVE Sculpture on Locust Walk

Health Sciences

Weight management drug does not increase risk of depression or suicidal behavior

In new clinical trials, researchers from penn medicine find that for people without known major psychopathology, taking semaglutide for weight loss are at no increased risk of mental health issues..

Taking the weight loss medication semaglutide did not increase the risk of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behavior in persons without known major mental health disorders, according to a new study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, published in JAMA Internal Medicine .

Semaglutide, popularly known by the name brands of Ozempic and Mounjaro, has emerged as a significant advancement in the field of weight management. Initially developed as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes, the drug gained widespread attention after clinical trials showed it reduced baseline body weight by approximately 10%-15%. Weekly injectable medications like semaglutide have become a popular option for health care providers to prescribe for patients. As many as 5 million Americans were prescribed semaglutide in 2023 , with nearly four in ten taking it for weight management.

The new study, led by Thomas Wadden, a professor of psychology in psychiatry and the former director of Penn’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders , analyzed data from over 3,500 participants across four major clinical trials.

"The STEP trials provide strong evidence that semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces body weight and improves numerous health complications associated with obesity. Our new analyses provide assurance that the medication, when taken by individuals who are free of significant mental health concerns, does not increase the risk of depression, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behavior,” Wadden says.

This story is by Matt Toal. Read more at Penn Medicine News .

At Convocation, a call to ‘come together’

Campus & Community

Move-In coordinators help ease transition to college

Forty-eight second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students will be on the ground during Move-In to assist approximately 6,000 new and returning Quakers.

The power of protons

Penn Medicine has treated more than 10,000 cancer patients at three proton therapy centers across the region, including the largest and busiest center in the world—while also leading the way in research to expand the healing potential of these positive particles.

To Penn’s Class of 2024: ‘The world needs you’

The University celebrated graduating students on Monday during the 268th Commencement.

Class of 2025 relishes time together at Hey Day

An iconic tradition at Penn, third-year students were promoted to senior status.

Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Storage, Transfer and Access to Information

Communication, professional development.

ICT has improved very many things in health and social care. Compared to ancient times, the modern times have experienced the improvement of virtually all areas in these sectors due to massive ICT developments. All activities are done more easily and quickly compared to previous decades. In addition, both the caregivers and service users can access any type of information depending on their needs. In brief, the benefits of embracing ICT in the health and social care sector are very numerous. Among them include storing, transferring and accessing information, improved communication between institutions, among nurses and, sometimes, with their patients and continuous professional development.

The advancement in ICT has made it possible for anybody to access any information within very short periods. Caregivers can store their patients’ information in computers. Information stored in computers is safer than that stored in paper files. The caregivers will also be able to access such information more easily whenever it is needed. In addition, both the caregivers and their clients can easily find information about their illnesses on the internet.

ICT has also made it possible for caregivers and their institutions to easily transfer information from one place to the other. For example, institutions may want to share information about certain illnesses with other health and social care institutions for the purpose of handling them better. In such cases, they may make calls or send emails to the relevant institutions. Contrasted to earlier periods, such communication receives instant feedback. Hence, problems are solved within shorter periods.

On the same note, automated information systems in health and social institutions have made the handling of patients very easy. Caregivers can carry out tests using the computer; they can monitor the recovery process and even get notifications whenever their patients are in dire need of help. As a result, it takes very little time to diagnose even the deadliest diseases and treat them before they develop into chronic cases. It was very difficult to carry out such activities without the inventions that exist today in the ICT sector. Caregivers used to spend too much time waiting for laboratory results before they could attend to their patients.

In modern times, almost everybody has a mobile phone and other ICT-related gadgets. Such gadgets have helped ease the process of passing on information from one person to the other. In the health and social care sector, ICT has helped the caregivers to easily communicate amongst themselves, especially when sharing out responsibilities or trying to solve different crises. Therefore, they take less time communicating information on duties and crises compared to periods before health and social care institutions had embraced ICT.

Apart from communication, ICT has substantially fostered continued professional development. Many caregivers can register for online courses for the purpose of advancing their knowledge as professionals. This is a very good way of furthering their professional knowledge without interfering with their daily responsibilities as caregivers. At the same time, they can surf for any information on the web whenever there is need for it. Eventually, they become more skilled and knowledgeable than those who joined the profession before them. This also means they handle their clients better than their predecessors.

In a nutshell, ICT has greatly improved the performance of health and social care providers. Their services are faster and more accurate than those in the past. ICT has also improved communication between institution and service providers.

• DXplain Project Implementation and Evaluation
• Legal Considerations' Impacts on ICT in Healthcare
• What Themes of ICT Should Be Taught in Secondary School
• ICT Incorporation in Education: Leadership Laws Applicability
• Importance of ICT in Education
• Health Information System's Resources and Security
• Lorenzo Regional Care for Care Management
• The Bury Lorenzo Regional Care: Health IT Project
• The National Programme for IT in the NHS
• IT Programme and Lorenzo Patient Record Systems
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, July 6). Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare. https://ivypanda.com/essays/information-and-communications-technology-benefits-in-healthcare/

"Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare." IvyPanda , 6 July 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/information-and-communications-technology-benefits-in-healthcare/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare'. 6 July.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare." July 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/information-and-communications-technology-benefits-in-healthcare/.

1. IvyPanda . "Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare." July 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/information-and-communications-technology-benefits-in-healthcare/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Information and Communications Technology Benefits in Healthcare." July 6, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/information-and-communications-technology-benefits-in-healthcare/.

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.