HSA 5923 FNU Communication and Relationship Mgmt in Healthcare Capstone

1Communication and Relationship Management in Healthcare: Literature Review
Isaida Rivas
FNU
Professor,Llamas
07/11/2023
2
Communication and Relationship Management in Healthcare: Literature Review
Communication skills in healthcare are crucial in many ways including promoting care
quality and safety. These skills include more than just relaying information to the patient and
family and integrates aspects of relationship management. Communication can determine the
quality of care and patients’ experience with the healthcare system and staff in the organization.
This basic skill is essential and crucial in not only ensuring a high quality experience of care but
also reducing the risk of missed care and errors. Much research has been conducted on the topic
so far and a review of the existing literature can assist in promoting communication and
relationship management among staff in UHealth. This paper is a review of the current literature
on the place of communication and relationship management in healthcare to promote care
quality and safety.
Health Literacy
One of the core concepts in healthcare communication is health literacy. This term has
been defined as “the cognitive and social skills that determine the motivation and ability of
individuals to gain access to, understand, and use basic information in ways that promote and
maintain health” (as cited in Güner & Ekmekci, 2019). From this definition, it is portrayed as a
prerequisite for good communication. Güner and Ekmekci (2019) identify health literacy as a
more important predictor of health outcomes than other determinants such as income,
employment, and education. This is because without understanding and having the motivation to
attain and use health information, it is challenging for patients to adhere to treatment plans and
medical advice. Similarly, Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) link health literacy to self-efficacy in
health management. Therefore, its importance has been identified as a social determinant of
health and predictor of self-efficacy in health management.
3
Numerous researchers have found that health literacy his both an independent and
mediating social determinant of health. Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) conducted a scoping review
of the literature. While referring to the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU) conducted in
eight countries, the authors found that health literacy was a social determinant of health
independent of other demographic factors (Nutbeam & Lloyd, 2021). The findings are similar to
those reported by Güner and Ekmekci (2019) who conducted a survey with nurses and
physicians on their communication skills and health literacy of their patients. Nutbeam and
Lloyd (2021) also report research indicating that health literacy mediates the relationship
between socioeconomic conditions and health outcomes.
The Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) paper focuses on the ability to understand and use health
information while Güner and Ekmekci (2019) presents information on physician and nurses’
views. Elsewhere, Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) present a randomized controlled trial on
communication skills training impact on health literacy. Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) is unique in
that the indirect impact of health literacy has been evaluated in a controlled trial. The main
weakness of Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) is that there is no primary research conducted while
Güner and Ekmekci (2019) only capture the healthcare providers’ perspective. Nevertheless,
taken together, findings from this literature indicate that communication advancement in
healthcare must consider the health literacy of target populations as a social determinant of
health.
Communication and the Patient Experience
Communication is important in healthcare because it affects care quality and the patients’
experience. Ajam et al. (2020) wrote an article based on current literature on communication
skills in imaging care. Their research focuses mostly on the need for calming and relaxation
4
techniques to address anxiety. Their paper provides evidence that communication and
interpersonal interactions can determine a patient’s willingness to cooperate in care, determining
their experience of healthcare (Ajam et al., 2020). A cross-sectional descriptive survey by Karaca
and Durna (2019) found that patients were more satisfied with the concern and care they
experienced from nurses rather than the information they were provided with. A literature review
and concept analysis by determined that empathetic professionals were better at communicating
with patients and enhanced their satisfaction with care (Moudatsou et al., 2020).
The findings from these articles indicate the importance of empathy, care, and genuine
concern when communicating with patients rather than simply relaying information. Ajam et al.
(2020) is a review article on communication specific to imaging healthcare processes. Although
it has been written specifically for this practice area, findings from the study are highly useful in
all cases especially in healthcare procedures that may be anxiety-inducing in patients (Ajam et
al., 2020). In comparison, Karaca and Durna (2019) is the most useful and credible of the
literature on patients’ experience as the paper presents findings from the patients’ experiences
and perspectives. Moudatsou et al. (2020) conducted a detailed concept analysis of empathy and
the article is especially useful in guiding and training staff to ensure empathetic communications.
Overall, the studies highlight the importance of empathetic communications in enhancing the
patient experience and promoting care quality.
Relationship Management
Patient relationship management is closely connected to communication skills and is a
major determinant of how patients experience and are satisfied with the healthcare processes.
Baashar et al. (2020) conducted a systematic review of the customer relationship management
systems in healthcare and found that there is a gap in the customer relationship management in
5
healthcare with inadequate systems and research on the topic. Hamade (2022) conducted a
survey of the impact of customer relationship management in healthcare. She found that such
systems improve communication and trust among patients and also are crucial in enhancing
service quality and patients’ satisfaction with care (Hamade, 2022). Although Baashar et al.
(2020) report study findings on the importance of customer relationship management, they also
present inadequate research findings. Findings by Hamade (2022) are more credible as they are
based on a large sample (500 patients) and include actual data collection.
Moreover, when designing customer relationships management systems, it is imperative
to consider the technologies of the day available to the healthcare organization and patients.
Mendes et al. (2021) conducted a qualitative study on the experience of hospital technologies in
internal relationships management and marketing. They found that staff were willing to use
healthcare technologies for relationship management but majority were untrained or unskilled in
doing so (Mendes et al., 2021). The importance of this study to the review of the literature is its
focus on conventional hospital technologies. It also combines focus groups with semi-structured
interviews (triangulation) to provide high quality and detailed information (Mendes et al., 2021).
Meskarpour-Amiri et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the design of
patient relationship management systems for general hospitals. Although they found that most
hospitals lack a clear relationship management platform, those which did prioritized integration
of information in the system, registration of patients’ details, and accessing right information at
the right time, in that order (Meskarpour-Amiri et al., 2021). Technologies used in patient
relationship management, therefore, should ensure care information integration and accessibility.
The Meskarpour-Amiri paper is also credible because it presents actual data collected from
general hospitals. Findings from the four articles highlight the lack of adequate customer
6
relationship management systems in most hospitals and the need for integrated systems for
communication as well.
Critical Care Communication
Communication skills and relationship management have especially been deemed crucial
in the context of critical and intensive care units. Patients and families of patients in intensive
care unit especially experience anxiety regarding the health outcomes and prognosis of the
patient (Roche et al., 2019). Chen et al. (2022) conducted a quasi-experimental study with
surrogates of adult mechanically ventilated patients to determine the impact of comfort
communication and determined that such communication enhances surrogates’ satisfaction with
care. Nevertheless, other studies have shown that there currently are low communication
satisfaction in critical care. Momennasab et al. (2019) report that in most communication
instances, the patients initiated the interaction and they had very low level of satisfaction. Roche
et al. (2019) found that majority of families and nurses had no direct consultation with the
specialist team in intensive care unit but those who had consultations had a significantly higher
level of satisfaction with care. despite the importance of comfort communication in ICU, these
studies establish that there may currently be inadequate communication especially between
patients, families, and specialists.
The findings in ICU align with further research conducted on COVID-19 communication
skills and strategies. In the context of the pandemic, it was determined that having great
communication skills and using them to connect with patients is crucial. In an opinion piece,
Back et al. (2020) highlighted the utility of communication skills for healthcare professionals to
manage distress and anxiety during the pandemic. The unique approach of this article is that it
considers staff welfare and outlines why communication is important not only for patient
7
wellbeing but also staff (Back et al., 2020). Ataguba and Ataguba (2020) conducted a review of
the literature and highlighted the role of communication strategies in management of the
COVID-19 pandemic, concluding that it builds trust, respect, honesty, accountability, and
transparency in the agencies involved. This article is credible because it references literature on
pandemic management research. Similarly, Finset et al. (2020) discussed the importance of
communication during the pandemic. In their review of the literature, they identified that
communication skills were crucial in not only promoting behavior change but also addressing
anxiety and fear. These findings are specific to the COVID-19 pandemic but can also be
generalized to other health emergencies and pandemics.
Conclusion
Current literature has emphasized the importance of communication skills and
relationship management in healthcare but identified a gap in the application of specific models
in the industry. Health literacy has been identified as an independent and mediating factor for
health outcomes. Communication has been highlighted as crucial and should entail empathy and
comfort communication to enhance patients’ experience of care and satisfaction. During a crisis
or pandemic, comfort communication, addressing anxiety, and providing integrated information
have been highlighted as the crucial approaches to communication and relationship management.
Further research on how communication and relationship models can be applied is required to
promote a practical approach to communication improvement in healthcare.
8
References
Ajam, A. A., Tahir, S., Makary, M. S., Longworth, S., Lang, E. V., Krishna, N. G., & Nguyen,
X. V. (2020). Communication and team interactions to improve patient experiences,
quality of care, and throughput in MRI. Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 29(3),
131-134. https://doi.org/10.1097/RMR.0000000000000242
Ataguba, O. A., & Ataguba, J. E. (2020). Social determinants of health: the role of effective
communication in the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. Global Health
Action, 13(1), 1788263. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2020.1788263
Baashar, Y., Alhussian, H., Patel, A., Alkawsi, G., Alzahrani, A. I., Alfarraj, O., & Hayder, G.
(2020). Customer relationship management systems (CRMS) in the healthcare
environment: A systematic literature review. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 71,
103442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csi.2020.103442
Back, A., Tulsky, J. A., & Arnold, R. M. (2020). Communication skills in the age of COVID19. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(11), 759-760. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1376
Chen, C., Sullivan, S. S., Lorenz, R. A., Wittenberg, E., Li, C. S., & Chang, Y. P. (2022).
COMFORT communication in the ICU: Pilot test of a nurse‐led communication
intervention for surrogates. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 31(21-22), 3076-3088.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16132
Finset, A., Bosworth, H., Butow, P., Gulbrandsen, P., Hulsman, R. L., Pieterse, A. H., & van
Weert, J. (2020). Effective health communication–a key factor in fighting the COVID-19
pandemic. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(5), 873.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.03.027
9
Güner, M. D., & Ekmekci, P. E. (2019). A survey study evaluating and comparing the health
literacy knowledge and communication skills used by nurses and physicians. INQUIRY:
The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 56, 1-10.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958019865831
Hamade, L. (2022). Customer relationship management and its impact on patient satisfaction: A
quantitative study in Lebanon. Business Excellence and Management, 12(2), 35-46.
https://doi.org/10.24818/beman/2022.12.2-03
Karaca, A., & Durna, Z. (2019). Patient satisfaction with the quality of nursing care. Nursing
Open, 6(2), 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.237
Mendes, E. T., Sousa, B. B., & Gonçalves, M. E. (2021). The role of technologies in relationship
management and internal marketing: an approach in the health management. Marketing
and Smart Technologies: Proceedings of ICMarkTech 2020, 733-747. https://doi.org/
10.4018/978-1-7998-7263-4.ch010
Meskarpour-Amiri, M., Bahadori, M., Rahmati, F., Ravangard, R., & Yaghoubi, M. (2021).
Designing a model for patient relationship management in the general hospitals using the
combination of analytic hierarchy process and interpretive structural modeling. Journal
of Education and Health Promotion, 10. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1040_20
Momennasab, M., Ardakani, M. S., Rad, F. D., Dokoohaki, R., Dakhesh, R., & Jaberi, A. (2019).
Quality of nurses’ communication with mechanically ventilated patients in a cardiac
surgery intensive care unit. Investigacion y educacion en enfermeria, 37(2).
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iee.v37n2e02
10
Moudatsou, M., Stavropoulou, A., Philalithis, A., & Koukouli, S. (2020, January). The role of
empathy in health and social care professionals. Healthcare 8(1), 26.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026
Nutbeam, D., & Lloyd, J. E. (2021). Understanding and responding to health literacy as a social
determinant of health. Annu Rev Public Health, 42(1), 159-73.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth090419-102529
Roche, S. D., Reichheld, A. M., Demosthenes, N., Johansson, A. C., Howell, M. D., Cocchi, M.
N., & Stevens, J. P. (2019). Measuring the quality of inpatient specialist consultation in
the intensive care unit: Nursing and family experiences of communication. PloS
One, 14(4), e0214918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214918
Tavakoly Sany, S. B., Behzhad, F., Ferns, G., & Peyman, N. (2020). Communication skills
training for physicians improves health literacy and medical outcomes among patients
with hypertension: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Health Services Research, 20, 110. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-4901-8
1
Communication and Relationship Management in Healthcare
Isaida Rivas
FNU
Instructor, Llamas
07/17/2023
2
Abstract
Communication and relationship management are important aspects of healthcare as they
determine how the healthcare organization and staff relate with their patients and the community.
This project focuses on communication and relationship management in healthcare, specifically
focusing on the University of Miami Health System (UHealth). The purpose of the project is to
ensure that UHealth implements effective communication and relationship management with all
patients who visit the healthcare organization. The current problem exists because UHealth has
failed to adopt new technologies and communication equipment needed to promote
communication and relationships management. Patient-doctor collaboration policies will be
established and regular seminars held in the organization to promote the staff ability to enhance
communication and effective relationship management with patients. A review of the literature
has been conducted with focus on health literacy, communication and patient experience,
relationship management, and critical care communication. The literature indicates that
healthcare staff must consider the health literacy of their patients when communicating with
them and managing their interactions. Empathetic communication has also been highlighted in
the literature as promoting patient communication and ample relationships with patients.
Regarding relationship management, it has been established that currently, hospitals lack
adequate relationship management systems and there is an increased need for integrated systems.
The literature has also identified the importance of critical communications in promoting
behavior change and reducing fear and anxiety in patients. The paper concludes that improving
communications and relationship management at UHealth is likely to improve patients’
experiences of care.
3
Table of Contents
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Introduction and Description of the Problem………………………………………………………………………. 4
Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Health Literacy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Communication and the Patient Experience ……………………………………………………………………. 7
Relationship Management …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Critical Care Communication………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
4
Communication and Relationship Management in Healthcare
Introduction and Description of the Problem
The project is about communication and relationship management in healthcare with a
main focus on UHealth hospital. Many hospitals fail to implement a communication strategy that
ensures efficiency in service delivery. There should be a well outlined communication model in
all healthcare facilities to ensure real-time communication between all personnel who work in
the facility. A single error can create concurrent problems and lead to loss of lives. With
effective communication in a hospital setting, patients have access to quality services and this
leads to client satisfaction. It also facilitates the creation of a conducive working environment
that creates room for research and invention. Where there is effective communication, patients’
records are well documented and in-hospital deaths reduce. UHealth has some of its medical
equipment’s that uses old technology such as computer operating systems, X-ray machines and
lab equipment’s. Therefore, there is a need for UHealth to adapt latest technology and ensure
real-time conveying of information within all departments in the hospital. Real-time
communication will facilitate teamwork and ensure quality delivery of services (Fuchshuber, &
Greif, 2022).
The project is aimed to ensure guaranteed quality services to all patients who visit
UHealth and all healthcare facilities at large through effective communication through advanced
technological devices. The focus will be to identify the communication challenges that patients
and healthcare practitioners face within their line of duty. The research will make a difference by
ensuring patient details are sharable across all departments and doctors make decisions based on
5
patient’s medical history. It will also ensure effective inter-colleague communication that
facilitates updating sharable databases with facts about patient’s medical prescriptions.
I believe the problem exists because technology advancements have been made with new
hospital equipment’s being available in the market. However, Uhealth still has its old
communication and laboratory equipment in place and this is a major challenge to
communication and delivery of quality services. The project will address the problem by
ensuring there are technological devices that facilitates real-time interdepartmental
communication either through audio or video means. Patients will also have the opportunity to
review healthcare practitioners anonymously to ensure the management have facts about the
progress of the hospital.
The goal will be to offer excellent services to patients and transform patients’ lives
through life transforming discoveries that promote better human life. This will be achieved
through patient-doctor collaboration policies that will strengthen their relationship ties. Loop
holes in patient follow up procedures will also be analyzed to deduce problems that hinder
quality medication to remote patients. Sources of conflicts within departments will also be
analyzed and deduce mechanisms to eliminate them. According to Jayalakshmi, & Kumar,
(2020), poor interdepartmental communication affects patients’ satisfaction, employee turnover,
and nurses’ satisfaction.
Seminars will be held regularly to help Uhealth workers understand the importance of
effective communication and how to maintain a conducive work environment that promoted
productivity. The long-term benefits will be the creation of a hospital where patients problems
are solved professionally. People will live better lives by saving and implementing their life
goals. Their productivity will also improve within their respective work areas.
6
Literature Review
Communication skills in healthcare are crucial in many ways including promoting care
quality and safety. These skills include more than just relaying information to the patient and
family and integrates aspects of relationship management. Communication can determine the
quality of care and patients’ experience with the healthcare system and staff in the organization.
This basic skill is essential and crucial in not only ensuring a high quality experience of care but
also reducing the risk of missed care and errors. Much research has been conducted on the topic
so far and a review of the existing literature can assist in promoting communication and
relationship management among staff in UHealth. This section is a review of the current
literature on the place of communication and relationship management in healthcare to promote
care quality and safety.
Health Literacy
One of the core concepts in healthcare communication is health literacy. This term has
been defined as “the cognitive and social skills that determine the motivation and ability of
individuals to gain access to, understand, and use basic information in ways that promote and
maintain health” (as cited in Güner & Ekmekci, 2019). From this definition, it is portrayed as a
prerequisite for good communication. Güner and Ekmekci (2019) identify health literacy as a
more important predictor of health outcomes than other determinants such as income,
employment, and education. This is because without understanding and having the motivation to
attain and use health information, it is challenging for patients to adhere to treatment plans and
medical advice. Similarly, Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) link health literacy to self-efficacy in
health management. Therefore, its importance has been identified as a social determinant of
health and predictor of self-efficacy in health management.
7
Numerous researchers have found that health literacy his both an independent and
mediating social determinant of health. Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) conducted a scoping review
of the literature. While referring to the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU) conducted in
eight countries, the authors found that health literacy was a social determinant of health
independent of other demographic factors (Nutbeam & Lloyd, 2021). The findings are similar to
those reported by Güner and Ekmekci (2019) who conducted a survey with nurses and
physicians on their communication skills and health literacy of their patients. Nutbeam and
Lloyd (2021) also report research indicating that health literacy mediates the relationship
between socioeconomic conditions and health outcomes.
The Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) paper focuses on the ability to understand and use health
information while Güner and Ekmekci (2019) presents information on physician and nurses’
views. Elsewhere, Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) present a randomized controlled trial on
communication skills training impact on health literacy. Tavakoly Sany et al. (2020) is unique in
that the indirect impact of health literacy has been evaluated in a controlled trial. The main
weakness of Nutbeam and Lloyd (2021) is that there is no primary research conducted while
Güner and Ekmekci (2019) only capture the healthcare providers’ perspective. Nevertheless,
taken together, findings from this literature indicate that communication advancement in
healthcare must consider the health literacy of target populations as a social determinant of
health.
Communication and the Patient Experience
Communication is important in healthcare because it affects care quality and the patients’
experience. Ajam et al. (2020) wrote an article based on current literature on communication
skills in imaging care. Their research focuses mostly on the need for calming and relaxation
8
techniques to address anxiety. Their paper provides evidence that communication and
interpersonal interactions can determine a patient’s willingness to cooperate in care, determining
their experience of healthcare (Ajam et al., 2020). A cross-sectional descriptive survey by Karaca
and Durna (2019) found that patients were more satisfied with the concern and care they
experienced from nurses rather than the information they were provided with. A literature review
and concept analysis by determined that empathetic professionals were better at communicating
with patients and enhanced their satisfaction with care (Moudatsou et al., 2020).
The findings from these articles indicate the importance of empathy, care, and genuine
concern when communicating with patients rather than simply relaying information. Ajam et al.
(2020) is a review article on communication specific to imaging healthcare processes. Although
it has been written specifically for this practice area, findings from the study are highly useful in
all cases especially in healthcare procedures that may be anxiety-inducing in patients (Ajam et
al., 2020). In comparison, Karaca and Durna (2019) is the most useful and credible of the
literature on patients’ experience as the paper presents findings from the patients’ experiences
and perspectives. Moudatsou et al. (2020) conducted a detailed concept analysis of empathy and
the article is especially useful in guiding and training staff to ensure empathetic communications.
Overall, the studies highlight the importance of empathetic communications in enhancing the
patient experience and promoting care quality.
Relationship Management
Patient relationship management is closely connected to communication skills and is a
major determinant of how patients experience and are satisfied with the healthcare processes.
Baashar et al. (2020) conducted a systematic review of the customer relationship management
systems in healthcare and found that there is a gap in the customer relationship management in
9
healthcare with inadequate systems and research on the topic. Hamade (2022) conducted a
survey of the impact of customer relationship management in healthcare. She found that such
systems improve communication and trust among patients and also are crucial in enhancing
service quality and patients’ satisfaction with care (Hamade, 2022). Although Baashar et al.
(2020) report study findings on the importance of customer relationship management, they also
present inadequate research findings. Findings by Hamade (2022) are more credible as they are
based on a large sample (500 patients) and include actual data collection.
Moreover, when designing customer relationships management systems, it is imperative
to consider the technologies of the day available to the healthcare organization and patients.
Mendes et al. (2021) conducted a qualitative study on the experience of hospital technologies in
internal relationships management and marketing. They found that staff were willing to use
healthcare technologies for relationship management but majority were untrained or unskilled in
doing so (Mendes et al., 2021). The importance of this study to the review of the literature is its
focus on conventional hospital technologies. It also combines focus groups with semi-structured
interviews (triangulation) to provide high quality and detailed information (Mendes et al., 2021).
Meskarpour-Amiri et al. (2021) conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the design of
patient relationship management systems for general hospitals. Although they found that most
hospitals lack a clear relationship management platform, those which did prioritized integration
of information in the system, registration of patients’ details, and accessing right information at
the right time, in that order (Meskarpour-Amiri et al., 2021). Technologies used in patient
relationship management, therefore, should ensure care information integration and accessibility.
The Meskarpour-Amiri paper is also credible because it presents actual data collected from
general hospitals. Findings from the four articles highlight the lack of adequate customer
10
relationship management systems in most hospitals and the need for integrated systems for
communication as well.
Critical Care Communication
Communication skills and relationship management have especially been deemed crucial
in the context of critical and intensive care units. Patients and families of patients in intensive
care unit especially experience anxiety regarding the health outcomes and prognosis of the
patient (Roche et al., 2019). Chen et al. (2022) conducted a quasi-experimental study with
surrogates of adult mechanically ventilated patients to determine the impact of comfort
communication and determined that such communication enhances surrogates’ satisfaction with
care. Nevertheless, other studies have shown that there currently are low communication
satisfaction in critical care. Momennasab et al. (2019) report that in most communication
instances, the patients initiated the interaction and they had very low level of satisfaction. Roche
et al. (2019) found that majority of families and nurses had no direct consultation with the
specialist team in intensive care unit but those who had consultations had a significantly higher
level of satisfaction with care. despite the importance of comfort communication in ICU, these
studies establish that there may currently be inadequate communication especially between
patients, families, and specialists.
The findings in ICU align with further research conducted on COVID-19 communication
skills and strategies. In the context of the pandemic, it was determined that having great
communication skills and using them to connect with patients is crucial. In an opinion piece,
Back et al. (2020) highlighted the utility of communication skills for healthcare professionals to
manage distress and anxiety during the pandemic. The unique approach of this article is that it
considers staff welfare and outlines why communication is important not only for patient
11
wellbeing but also staff (Back et al., 2020). Ataguba and Ataguba (2020) conducted a review of
the literature and highlighted the role of communication strategies in management of the
COVID-19 pandemic, concluding that it builds trust, respect, honesty, accountability, and
transparency in the agencies involved. This article is credible because it references literature on
pandemic management research. Similarly, Finset et al. (2020) discussed the importance of
communication during the pandemic. In their review of the literature, they identified that
communication skills were crucial in not only promoting behavior change but also addressing
anxiety and fear. These findings are specific to the COVID-19 pandemic but can also be
generalized to other health emergencies and pandemics.
Conclusion
Current literature has emphasized the importance of communication skills and
relationship management in healthcare but identified a gap in the application of specific models
in the industry. Health literacy has been identified as an independent and mediating factor for
health outcomes. Communication has been highlighted as crucial and should entail empathy and
comfort communication to enhance patients’ experience of care and satisfaction. During a crisis
or pandemic, comfort communication, addressing anxiety, and providing integrated information
have been highlighted as the crucial approaches to communication and relationship management.
Further research on how communication and relationship models can be applied is required to
promote a practical approach to communication improvement in healthcare.
12
References
Ajam, A. A., Tahir, S., Makary, M. S., Longworth, S., Lang, E. V., Krishna, N. G., & Nguyen,
X. V. (2020). Communication and team interactions to improve patient experiences,
quality of care, and throughput in MRI. Topics in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 29(3),
131-134. https://doi.org/10.1097/RMR.0000000000000242
Ataguba, O. A., & Ataguba, J. E. (2020). Social determinants of health: the role of effective
communication in the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. Global Health
Action, 13(1), 1788263. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2020.1788263
Baashar, Y., Alhussian, H., Patel, A., Alkawsi, G., Alzahrani, A. I., Alfarraj, O., & Hayder, G.
(2020). Customer relationship management systems (CRMS) in the healthcare
environment: A systematic literature review. Computer Standards & Interfaces, 71,
103442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csi.2020.103442
Back, A., Tulsky, J. A., & Arnold, R. M. (2020). Communication skills in the age of COVID19. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(11), 759-760. https://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1376
Chen, C., Sullivan, S. S., Lorenz, R. A., Wittenberg, E., Li, C. S., & Chang, Y. P. (2022).
COMFORT communication in the ICU: Pilot test of a nurse‐led communication
intervention for surrogates. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 31(21-22), 3076-3088.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16132
Finset, A., Bosworth, H., Butow, P., Gulbrandsen, P., Hulsman, R. L., Pieterse, A. H., & van
Weert, J. (2020). Effective health communication–a key factor in fighting the COVID-19
pandemic. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(5), 873.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.03.027
13
Fuchshuber, P., & Greif, W. (2022). Creating effective communication and teamwork for patient
safety. In The SAGES Manual of Quality, Outcomes and Patient Safety (pp. 443-460).
Cham: Springer International Publishing.
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RUNNING HEAD: INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
Introduction and description of the Problem
Isaida Rivas
FNU
07/09/2023
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INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
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Introduction and description of the Problem
Introduction
The project is about communication and relationship management in healthcare with a
main focus on UHealth hospital. Many hospitals fail to implement a communication strategy that
ensures efficiency in service delivery. There should be a well outlined communication model in
all healthcare facilities to ensure real-time communication between all personnel who work in
the facility. A single error can create concurrent problems and lead to loss of lives. With effective
communication in a hospital setting, patients have access to quality services and this leads to
client satisfaction. It also facilitates the creation of a conducive working environment that creates
room for research and invention. Where there is effective communication, patients’ records are
well documented and in-hospital deaths reduce. UHealth has some of its medical equipment’s
that uses old technology such as computer operating systems, X-ray machines and lab
equipment’s. Therefore, there is a need for UHealth to adapt latest technology and ensure realtime conveying of information within all departments in the hospital. Real-time communication
will facilitate teamwork and ensure quality delivery of services (Fuchshuber, & Greif, 2022).
The project is aimed to ensure guaranteed quality services to all patients who visit
UHealth and all healthcare facilities at large through effective communication through advanced
technological devices. The focus will be to identify the communication challenges that patients
and healthcare practitioners face within their line of duty. The research will make a difference by
ensuring patient details are sharable across all departments and doctors make decisions based on
patient’s medical history. It will also ensure effective inter-colleague communication that
facilitates updating sharable databases with facts about patient’s medical prescriptions.
INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
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Description of the problem
I believe the problem exists because technology advancements have been made with new
hospital equipment’s being available in the market. However, Uhealth still has its old
communication and laboratory equipment in place and this is a major challenge to
communication and delivery of quality services. The project will address the problem by
ensuring there are technological devices that facilitates real-time interdepartmental
communication either through audio or video means. Patients will also have the opportunity to
review healthcare practitioners anonymously to ensure the management have facts about the
progress of the hospital.
The goal will be to offer excellent services to patients and transform patients’ lives
through life transforming discoveries that promote better human life. This will be achieved
through patient-doctor collaboration policies that will strengthen their relationship ties. Loop
holes in patient follow up procedures will also be analyzed to deduce problems that hinder
quality medication to remote patients. Sources of conflicts within departments will also be
analyzed and deduce mechanisms to eliminate them. According to Jayalakshmi, & Kumar,
(2020), poor interdepartmental communication affects patients’ satisfaction, employee turnover,
and nurses’ satisfaction.
Seminars will be held regularly to help Uhealth workers understand the importance of
effective communication and how to maintain a conducive work environment that promoted
productivity. The long-term benefits will be the creation of a hospital where patients problems
are solved professionally. People will live better lives by saving and implementing their life
goals. Their productivity will also improve within their respective work areas.
INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
4
References
Fuchshuber, P., & Greif, W. (2022). Creating effective communication and teamwork for patient
safety. In The SAGES Manual of Quality, Outcomes and Patient Safety (pp. 443-460).
Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Jayalakshmi, L., SD, K. D., & Kumar, V. (2020). Interdepartmental collaboration in a teaching
hospital–A force field analysis. National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and
Pharmacology, 10(9), 799-799.