Lack Of Communication In Health Care

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Pages: 6

Approximately 80% of healthcare errors to this day are due to lack of communication. Whether that is patient to nurse, nurse to nurse, nurse to provider, provider to patient, provider to provider, these errors are often likely to have life-long effects on patient’s and their families. There are multiple different ways to have effective communication in health care facilities, it is just taking the time to do it that tends to be the hardest part. By taking the time to have adequate and thorough communication with those around you, especially those caring for the same patient, it could be the difference between life and death. Enforcing policies to make sure all heath care personnel are effectively communicating by checklists, dry-erase boards, …show more content…
These boards include patient’s name and identifiers, procedure, site of procedure, and allergies; making sure to document all countable items (Edel, 2010). They are large enough to be visible to all surgical team members (surgeon’s, nurses, operating room staff members (those who scrub in for procedures) and put in a spot that is easy to examine. Information is then easily and accurately copied into the patient’s chart. However, tracking details can be difficult and is often seen as a problem for a scrubbed team during a procedure because of their confinement to the sterile field, so often times, someone is appointed the job of tracking information during the procedure. They are also customizable specific to the surgical specialty that is being used. By doing this, it emphasizes team awareness of risks, improves the likelihood of locating a missing or hidden object, and heightens awareness of patient safety among all of the members (Edel, 2010). Most importantly, it improves the patients’ surgical …show more content…
Rounds as used for open communication, decision-making information sharing, care planning, patient safety, setting daily goals of care, and communicating with the patient and/or family member (Dingley, C., Daugherty, K., Derieg, M. K., & Persing, R., 2010). This is usually done by the patient’s attending physician, and then given to the nurse. The care team provided input and looked at the goals for the day, and they were updated as the goals of care had changed. By doing this, there is an increase in communication among providers, an incline in the physicians and nurses who understood the goals for the day. Before this plan had been established in hospitals, rounds lacked clarity about tasks and care plans for the day, causing other staff members to be unsure of what they needed to accomplish and plan for communicating with patients, families, and other caregivers. Daily goal sheets are another way to implement proper communication in the health care facility to prevent negative patient