Patient physician communication an interface

Abstract

Communication in a healthcare setting leading to a quality healthcare delivery is one of the most important tools. It is the whole team of the hospital that provides treatment to each patient coming in for treatment: from doctors and nurses to, paramedic and the entire support services. With multiple stakeholders involved, it is possible and understandable that communication errors can occur, leading to lower patient satisfaction, errors in delivery of healthcare and a compromise to patient safety. During the earlier times practice and delivery of care was rather simple and less complex as the practice of healthcare worked on faith and general Practitioner s who were mainly family physicians for generations. However, as the healthcare systems took the leap of into the change modalities of healthcare delivery the practice which was based on which was based on empathy and trust for generations together changed a lot. It was completely a new face of healthcare with a lot more complex systems, advanced investigations, expensive machine, and specialty-based practice which made the healthcare communication more formal and complex. Earlier the healthcare was only limited to outcome of the treatment but gradually many other factors got added where the healthcare delivery was getting evaluated with not only the core healthcare outcomes but in relation with to the value-added services. These additions further complicated the relationships between the doctors and patients as it gave rise to more clarifications and questions. Good doctor patient communication does the function of a healer and enhances patient satisfaction. A report presented by Institute of Medicine highlights that the healthcare professionals lack adequate soft skills training. Healthcare system are complex, patient expectations are high, and every medical facility faces challenges caused by a lack of effective communication among the care providers and patients. A communication not provided too can lead to disastrous results. Although some mishaps may not be completely avoidable, effective communication will lead to better outcomes for patients and a successful outcome for the healthcare provider. It is extremely important for the doctor to communicate the patient and hence provide an environment of patient safety. The aim of this study is to understand and evaluate the level of communication and its key barriers between physicians and their patients. Keywords Care, Communication, Patient Safety, Patient Outcomes, Physicians, Standard Operating procedures, Care Plan, Primary care Team, Barriers, Healthcare Provider, Patient Satisfaction newline