Healthcare Communication Theory in Healthcare

¶ … Healthcare

Communication theory in healthcare

Research has suggested that groups are more productive than any single individual and that groups typically outperform individuals when the tasks being done require multiple skills, judgment, and experience" (Stephens 1999). No better description could be made of a healthcare setting -- every effective place where such care is dispensed demands employees with a variety of skills. Healthcare requires different paradigms to assess health and the quality of patient life. Employees frequently have different levels of experience, spanning the gamut from new employees, young workers fluent in new technologies, and older, seasoned professionals. This means that effective group communication is essential in a healthcare setting to improve productivity and to use the benefits of teamwork to their utmost. Communication is also essential because very often, decisions must be made quickly and as a collective unit when a patient's life is at risk.

At a nursing home facility, the members of different units may perform specific and separate functions, but all must work together to improve the quality of patient care. Additionally, the individuals involved in decision-making often include patients and relatives of patients. Their unique perspectives must be taken into account, as must the different backgrounds of the workers on the unit. Because resources are finite, managers and healthcare insurance companies are often part of the group that is coming to a consensus about care decisions. In short, communication and group decision-making is intensely collaborative in healthcare.

A number of theories have emerged in terms of how small groups function. One of the most well-known theories is that of 'groupthink' which results "when group cohesion leads all members of the group to abandon realistic evaluation of the situation and follow the corporate group ideal" (Lane, 2000, Groupthink). In our unit, one of the counterweights to groupthink is that we all have different perspectives on patient care because of our professional backgrounds and training. A physician's assistant or orderly may focus more on a patient's immediate needs than a physician, and a nurse might have more concern for the patient's psychology and level of comfort than a doctor who looks at the patient more from the medical model of disease. The debates that occur because of these different perspectives are part of the unit's strengths, although if a patient's family is very much opposed to the medical model, or takes a point-of-view of the patient very different from all of the medical staff and personnel dealing with the patient, an 'us vs. them' mentality might result. Fortunately, this has proved rare, and through using rational and compassionate dialogue, the family is usually able to gain a more realistic point-of-view of their loved one's state of wellness.

One of the reasons for the strength of the unit is that it is able to know when workers should listen to and trust a particular individual's greater experience and knowledge in a specific area. A hierarchy is defined. A doctor is most often the head of a particular team. But when there is a significant disagreement, we can debate different courses of action amongst ourselves, if there is a question as to what is right or ethical. "Groupthink does occur within groups. However, it does not happen in highly cohesive groups. Groupthink takes place when the groups have low levels of cohesiveness, and consequently ineffective leadership" (Stephens 1999).

One of the more controversial questions that arises when discussing group interactions is if one person need to lead the group, for the group to be effective (Lane, 2000, Decision mapping). In healthcare, some type of hierarchy is essential. Treatment decisions cannot be made through consensus alone, especially when a patient's life is in immediate danger. Also, seniority and areas of expertise are essential to define -- a more experienced nurse's decision-making ability must have priority over a novice nurse's. Certain areas of expertise, like the staff's registered nutritionist, must be respected when providing care. In fact, research in support of a communication theory known as decision-mapping notes that "groups with ineffective leadership" are less rather than more cohesive (Stephens 1999). Knowing there is an effective source of leadership can produce confidence. However, some consultation between different people, including the patient, family, nurses, physicians, and other caregivers, is ideal when coming to a conclusion about what step the unit should take in the futures. Ultimately, everyone in the group has to be respected, even if some members have greater decision-making power and seniority.