Effective Communication In Health Care

blood culture contamination rate; blood transfusion adverse events; haemolysis number of specimens with illegible or missing paperwork or labels; number of specimens that could not be processed due to inadequate sample volumes; number (and percentage) of trained staff in the health-care facility working in phlebotomy number (and proportion) of juniors who are supervised by trained staff.

A proficient phlebotomist is also an effective comminicator so that they can understand patients anxieties or issues clearly making the experience for the patient more positive as they have a better understanding of the procedure and its purpose. The patient is also more likely to follow any advice or instruction given if it is well communicated. Effective

Furthermore it is important to get feedback so as to understand the patients concerns in regards to the information they are given. In healthcare sadly these skills are not always present. Often patients concerns or worries are never vocalised and received by the healthcare professional. In many cases the patients perception and their individual anxieties at the time are not understood. When providing information to the patient a phlebotomist should be mindful of the particular patients needs and what they would like to know ensuring that they have understood the information given to them. In the past, education of healthcare professionals did not focus on ensuring that the professionals achieve a certain amount of skills needed for effective communication with their patients. This leads to a system in which the healthcare professional deals only with the necessary medical information rather than utilising a more clien-centred approach. It has been suggested that they are reluctant to inquire about the patients concerns in fear of encountering personal issues surrounding the situation which they are not equiped to deal with. Their concern may be that this will result in increased patient stress, a less time

Thus a routine where emotional concerns can often be dismissed in a way that prevents any further discussion on the topic. This can manifest itself through the preemptive reassuring of the patient before their main concerns have been voiced and also simply stating that a certain level of stress is expected. It is also possible the fact that patients do not reveal all of their concerns and the reasons for this may not be understood by the healthcare professional. Patients may hold back on voicing concerns for a number of reasons including not wanting to be a burden, concern that their issue is not legitimate and worrying that they will seem unknowledgeable. At the start of the encounter with the patient eye contact should be established and maintained regularly to demonstrate interest. The patient should be encouraged to be specific about their concerns in order to allow them to feel understood and deal with their issue. Any indications of problems of concerns should be made clear and explored further ensuring that the patient is allowed to finish their statement first. Reiterate in summary what the patient has stated. This