Matters Of Health Communication

Running head: MATTERS OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Matters of Health Communication

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MATTERS OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 1

Matters of Health Communication

The selected patient material is patient health communication concerns in the healthcare

facilities. Clear health communication is paramount for success in provision of healthcare

facilities. It is through communication that information concerning patients’ medical history and

symptoms is conveyed to the physicians. Health experts give instructions, orders, test findings

and recommendations to each other through communication (Dutta-Bergman, 2005). Besides, it

is via communication that information and guidelines are given by nurses, doctors, and

pharmacists to patients. Health personnel undergo proper training for taking a keen observation

of their patients and produce a revealing history.

Significant amount of money and resources are spent on automating reporting of results

from test as well as the order entry of the physician orders for speeding up of the availability and

accessibility of the medical information as well as reducing errors. Unfortunately, so little effort

has been put in helping patients understand their medical conditions and treatment so as to help

the patients make informed decisions regarding their health care, as well as taking the correct

medications and doses within the stipulated time frames (Dutta-Bergman, 2005). This report thus

elaborates on health communication literacy so as to enable the patients develop insight into the

healthcare issues and thus operate as per their wish in seeking quality medical care.

Majority of the elderly people in the United States have problems with reading complex

texts, some of them being vital health information. The jargon and arcane language

characterizing nurses and physicians in their writings also pose another readability problem as

most patients won’t be able to read the writings (Dutta-Bergman, 2005). Moreover, the elderly

with difficulties in comprehending written information often feel ashamed thus devising ways of

MATTERS OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2

masking this challenge. They may exhibit coldness in asking questions as they fear that they may

be seen to be ignorant fellows.

In summary, if the health personnel can just take their time and share with the patients

while asking them questions regarding the patients’ understanding of their diagnoses, bottle

labels, and instructions. With this step, the healthcare experts would be able to establish the

challenging gaps and difficulties regarding knowledge and misinterpretations by the patients.

These are problems aggravated by language alongside variations in cultures of the multicultural

society, complexities in the current health technology, and also by the complicated

administrative papers and requisites.

As documented by the Health Literacy Committee, the problems and their origins must

be taken care of, their consequences checked on, and ultimate solutions developed.Basically, the

problem of communication in health facilities should be identified and dealt with critically as it

affects patients across the board and not only the elderly (Dutta-Bergman, 2005). Physicians and

the nurses need to reconsider their handwritings while writing the drug prescriptions lest they

overdose or under dose the patienst who may be having poor eyesight to read the crafty

handwritings. Patients should as well be free to share their challenges without fear of

victimization and without any kind of shame. One should never take health matters for granted

while hiding under shame of sharing their real experiences. Patients must remain patients while

physicains must also remain physicians and not any of them should assume the role of the other

with matters to do with drug prescriptions and health recommendations.

MATTERS OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 3

Reference

Dutta-Bergman, M. J. (2005). Theory and practice in health communication campaigns: A

critical interrogation. Health communication, 18(2), 103-122.

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