For Njosh Only - Healthcare

While it would be wonderful if every patient or patient population could be reached via the same communication tools, this is simply not the way it is in healthcare. Different populations require different communication efforts. Reflect on your selected population. In a 1-2 page paper, describe the three most effective way of communicating with your population. Provide specific examples of how you would use each method. For example, if you believe television commercials are an effective technique, what type of commercial would you use? When would it run? During what type of programs? Be sure to format your paper per APA standards and be sure to use in-text citations where necessary. Also, be sure to include a reference page when required.

Healthcare Communication – Lesson Content

Healthcare communications in many ways is different than communication in traditional industries. Often the communication includes information that is not only private, but time-sensitive. Healthcare administrators and professionals alike are constantly searching for technology that can be utilized to facilitate communication in a highly collaborative and extremely mobile environment.

There are a number of communication methods used in healthcare, each with different properties. They may be synchronous or asynchronous, mobile or fixed, and secure or unsecure. It is usually up to the healthcare administrator to determine the most effective way to communicate with their target population and with other members of the organization.

The majority of communication done between patient and physician is synchronous. Synchronous methods such as telephones and face-to-face meetings allow for clear communication of ideas and detailed information. This may not always be feasible, particularly for information that is very time-sensitive since it could lead to delays in treatment, due to missed calls or telephone tag.

Asynchronous methods allow participants to communicate when it is convenient or practical. These methods, including blogging, email, traditional mail, and texting, may be used with the information isn't urgent or life-threatening.

Another characteristic of communication is whether it is done through fixed or wireless (mobile) connectivity. Because of recent advances in technology, many of the communications methods that were once fixed are now wireless. This gives greater flexibility to communications methods such as telephones. Where physicians once went back to their offices to call patients, this can now be done at any time from a cellular phone.

Finally, security in healthcare communication is very important. If information is very private, ensuring that only the patient views that information is paramount. Understanding security issues related to communicating via the internet is important when determining which communication method to use to reach a target population.