Nonverbal Communication In Healthcare

In many healthcare settings, different healthcare professionals tend to come together to treat patients. This is especially true for those needing preventative measures to avoid injuries, or to rehabilitate after an injury has occurred. For example, someone who has suffered a shoulder injury at work might go to the doctor’s office where they see a nurse, and their physician, who then refers them to a physical therapist (PT). For any healthcare setting with different professionals working together, it is extremely important that communication between all parties involved are kept open, and there should be a common understanding to have the patient’s needs in their best interest. Communication, both verbal and non-verbal, is essential in a group …show more content…
One problem with creating open communication is that the physician and the physical therapist might have different views that completely conflict with each other. In that case, it would imperative to work out their views, or get a third party involved to try and come to a compromise. Another problem with communication is that it could initially take longer for the PTs and physicians to communicate. It could be problematic at first, but after some time, the physician would be aware of what information the PT is looking for and potentially save them time. Some say time is money, but by communicating efficiently and effectively, the healthcare professionals will be able to provide the best care for their patients. The next problem that could arise from open communication is that there could be verbal communication that could later be interrupted differently, or not even at all. For example, a physician or PT could tell each other important information, but if not written down, it could be easily forgotten. One way that could be avoided is with the TEAMStepps approach of the Check-Back method. It incorporates a sender initiating a message, the receiver accepting the message, and providing feedback confirmation, and finally the sender verifies the information was received.4-6 The healthcare professionals can also ensure that the verbal communications are written down and checked by the person who initiated the conversation. Double checking with the initiator of the conversation is important to make sure what they said, or what they wrote down is the same as how the receiver interpreted it. It also makes sure there are no assumptions so that there is a common understanding between the healthcare