Communication in Healthcare: Why Care Teams Need to Get it Right

Good communication can be the difference between life and death in clinical settings. The research is abundantly clear: A report published by Candello found that out of 23,000 medical malpractice lawsuits, 7,000 of them could be attributed to communication failures, resulting in $1.7 billion in malpractice costs and nearly 2,000 preventable deaths. It would follow, then, that healthcare organizations should make communication a top priority—yet many don’t. Today, we’re covering strategies for better communication and the dire consequences of getting it wrong.

Communication Defined

Communication in a clinical context takes place either between provider and patient, or between care team members, and can be verbal, non-verbal, handwritten, or electronic. According to the National Library of Medicine, poor communication can be defined as a “lack of precise, accurate, meaningful, and relevant information having been exchanged and understood.”

Why is Communication Important in Healthcare?

Good communication in healthcare is crucial for a number of reasons. Its benefits include:

• Improved patient outcomes
• Reduction in healthcare costs
• More accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions
• Prevention of staff burnout
• Improved patient satisfaction

6 Common Communication Barriers

There are numerous obstacles that commonly hinder communication in clinical settings, including:

1. Medical Jargon
   Physicians may forget that not everyone shares their extensive medical vocabulary. Certain terms thought of as commonplace (such as “hypertension,” for example) may not be understood by every patient. Certain complex topics in medicine can also be challenging to convey in layman’s terms.
2. Language and Cultural Barriers
   Patients who speak English as a second language may not be able to give informed consent for their treatments. Some may also be unfamiliar with etiquette that’s standard in American clinical settings.
3. Disabilities
   Some patients who live with disabilities have difficulty seeing, hearing, reading, or speaking, which can make it more challenging for care teams to communicate pertinent information for informed consent.
4. Overworked Care Teams
   Healthcare has a long-held reputation for grueling hours and worker shortages, so the fact that so many in the field report feeling burned out comes as no surprise. Overworked employees may unintentionally allow certain things (like good communication practices) to slip through the cracks in favor of meeting more urgent demands.
5. Lack of Trust
   Going to the doctor can be a nerve-wracking experience for anyone, and having an apathetic provider only makes things worse. A patient may not feel comfortable disclosing certain information during their appointment for several reasons, including shame, or the feeling that their provider lacks empathy or otherwise won’t take their issues seriously.
6. Mismanagement of Patient Data
   The old idiom, “too many cooks in the kitchen,” can apply in healthcare settings. When too many members of a care team have access to a single patient file, data can be misinterpreted, causing information to be relayed inaccurately.

3 Major Consequences of Poor Communication in Healthcare

1. Serious Medical Errors
   A study published by the Joint Commission found that 80% of “serious medical errors” were caused by miscommunication between providers during patient hand-offs. Failure to communicate effectively can result in the misplacement of important information or incorrect documentation, ending in worse patient self-management, declining patient satisfaction scores, longer care delays, unnecessary treatments, misdiagnoses, medication errors, death, and the list goes on.
2. Financial Burden
   Serious medical errors, like those mentioned above, can rack up extra costs for practices and cut down on opportunities for reimbursement from Value-Based Care programs. The nationwide cost of medication errors alone surpasses $17 billion annually.
3. Compliance Issues
   Incorrectly communicating HIPAA-compliant policies and procedures can make healthcare organizations susceptible to sanctions or malpractice lawsuits.

5 Tips to Improve Communication

Improving communication in clinical settings is by no means an easy task, but it’s critical if you want to avoid the consequences. Here are five practical tips to get you on the right track:

1. Give Clear Explanations
   When communicating directly with patients, avoid using complex medical jargon that might cause confusion or lead to misinterpretation of the treatment plan. Simplicity (where possible) is key.
2. Address Language Barriers
   Consider hiring interpreters to assist patients who either do not speak English or have a limited understanding of it. Addressing a language barrier allows the patient to provide more informed consent during the care planning process.
3. Embrace Empathy
   When in doubt, always take an empathetic approach by, for instance, addressing the patient’s concerns about their care plan or taking note of their emotional tone and responding appropriately.
4. Improve Written Etiquette
   Physicians having poor handwriting is a stereotype as old as time, but it bears repeating. Writing instructions and notes clearly and legibly benefits patients and the care team by cutting down on time that might otherwise be wasted on repeating information.
5. Leverage the Right Tools
   Finally, be sure to take advantage of the right tools—like Clinii Connect-AI—to enhance communication by analyzing a patient’s emotional tone, streamlining documentation across the care team, and ensuring HIPAA compliance—all within a single convenient interface.

Communication is Critical for Success

When it comes to communication, even the smallest missteps can lead to serious, long-term consequences for patients and care teams alike. Effective communication yields more informed decision-making and planning, improved operational efficiency, and better patient-provider relationships.

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