Communicating with Families in Health Care

Communication is the interaction of the changing of a situation or ideas between two or more people. Health communication research began in response to physicians' frustration with patients who did not comply with physicians' orders or recommendations. Physicians wanted to know why this was so, and enlisted the assistance of medical sociologists to study what strategies would be most effective in persuading patients to obey physicians (Ellington, 2002). Family healthcare communication today involves patient and provider communication, information dissemination, and social support (Ellington, 2002), all being a vital component for patient customer satisfaction. For the purposes of this paper, we will discuss family communication within the healthcare setting, combining verbal and nonverbal interaction to develop a plan of action between the patient and provider. In the healthcare setting there are often goals set and different ideas shared. The goal is for both parties to see the broad scope of the topic, whether it is a medical procedure or an illness, to agree and use options for a positive outcome. The provider needs to be aware of the tasks involved in effective communication. It is dependent upon how the people involved interpret the content exchanged. Connecting on a personal level toward the patient is critical. Ineffective communication is a failed effort to agree and exchange ideas which produces negative results because both parties could not come to an agreement. There are a few reasons a breakdown in communication. Personality clashes, or conflicts, often hinder a relationship. VanServellen states that there are three types of conflict: relationships, task, and process (VanServellen, 2009). Developing an effective relationship is everything in communication. If the people involved are not thinking the same then no procedures can go forward. This occurs in healthcare mostly because providers do not properly gain the trust of their patient. Trust is everything, especially when someone is in need of professional care. Often times, in a low income area, the patients tend to be less effective when communicating with the provider. This could be a positive and a negative. The patient is more to accept the doctor's recommendation and not argue, allowing for treatment as needed. On the negative end, the patient does not know exactly what is needed to be done and allows the provider to continue anyway. Both doctor and patient need to properly discuss in detail the appropriate procedures.

Effective communication for families in health care is paramount due to the seriousness of a person's health. Both patient and provider must work together to ensure proper procedures or treatments are provided in the most professional manner. Proper eye contact as well as facial expressions is important in showing the patient empathy. Expressing genuine concern of their problems by listening will help in designing a plan of action. Families are now more complex due to the change in marriage and family structure, and the increasing number of family members who no longer live in close proximity to one another (Fields, 2011). The chances of bringing several distant family members together and agreeing on a relative's health condition and procedures are almost zero. Communication is challenging and most medical facilities have created conferences to bring families together and to train them on options and means of communicating with their loved one that may be terminally ill.

In a study of twenty-four family conferences, it consisted of 24 patients, 10 of whom took part in the family conferences, 49 family members, and 85 health care providers. The research found that emotional engagement by health care providers, emotion work, appears central to the impact of these components on the successful outcome of the conference. The interaction between participants created a positive environment and helped all involved be on the "same page" (Fields, 2011).

In delivering an effective healthcare communication, a well-trained workforce can build a strong foundation of trust between their relationships to the patients. Also, healthcare managers and its staff can develop plans that incorporate the human resources required to establish new systems or improve systems already in use which should always be improved based upon patient need.

Communicating within families can be challenging. Many families today have major problems talking and spending time as a family. A study was conducted to find out how negative and positive communication begins. The way parents talked to their children is the foundation that begins effective communication in a person's