Communication Channels Paper

Communication Channels Paper HCS/320 Judd Shank Erin Griffin August 23, 2010 Communication is split into two parts one being the message or content and the channel it’s transmitted on. For example, you may want to communicate something about your emotional state, let’s say you are happy. You can communicate that over a variety of channels. They are writing a letter, sending an email, communicate it non-verbally or para-verbally, tape recording, etc. , of how excited you are. The way health care organizations disseminated health information internally are in a variety of ways. The varieties of ways are memos, emails, letters, and telephone, and person to person. Health care organizations also disseminate health information externally as well. The varieties of ways externally are telephones, letters, email and memos, and person to person. What is important is that the different communication channels have different strengths and weaknesses (Bascal& Associates, 2008). The ways health care organizations disseminate health information internally are in a variety of ways. Internally in an organization there are many different ways each member of staff is disseminating health information to patients and other staff members. A staff member would not speak to a patient the same way they would another staff member. A patient might not understand some of the medical terminology as another staff member would. The key to finding the joy in practicing medicine lies in communicating with patients about their whole being rather than just focusing on their ailments, says dermatologist Steve Shama, M. D. (Gagnon, 2004). Staff in health care organizations also communicates via email, memos, and letters and on tape. Doctors would more than likely send emails and on tape as well to other doctors about patients’ diagnosis and prognosis. Memos are generally used from higher department heads to lower department staffing for a reminder about meetings or any other information from department to department. The success of health care delivery depends greatly upon open channels of communication between the health care provider and the patient (Diaz-Duque, 1989). To compare and contrast the variety of channels communication is passed internally and externally. Health care organizations use technology a lot to dispense their communication internally and externally. Clinics and hospitals use the intra-net which is the internet through only that organization for some of the employees. Certain computers do not have internet but are able to use the intra- net through the organization. Clinics and hospitals use this type of communication to pass on reminders, memos, letters, directions and etc. to other employees within the organization. Communications can be facilitated by technology. Healthcare providers organize practices, hospitals, and nursing homes have tremendous needs to effectively communicate their organizations and between their organizations. The focus on electronic medical records comes not only from the need to communicate but also from a desire to reduce administrative costs and to improve services and quality of care to patients. Frustration with the inadequacies of a paper chart-filing system drives providers in all delivery venues toward technology at an increase rate. Implementation barriers to technology adoption in medical practices can be overcome by incremental approaches and knowledge- transfer assistance from affiliated community healthcare partners such as hospitals (Nelson, 2005). | Using the intra-net or even the internet throughout organizations is more beneficial then mailing their correspondence because the intra-net or internet is there within minutes compared to a regular letter or other type of correspondence from one organization or person to the next that could take days or even weeks depending on where it is being sent to. Another channel organizations use internally and externally is a telephone. Clinics and hospitals use telephones by receiving and calling patients, pharmacies, other medical staff, and the general public for other reasons. Using this type of channel clinics and organizations could run into the problem that the phone number is disconnected or change of number of the other business or person they are calling. Fax machines are another channel of communication through many organizations of health care. Nursing homes use ax machines a lot to pass communication to pharmacies, physicians, and labs. Mainly fax machines are used for their own business purposes and not to fax other patient information over to other places. Faxes are another form of communication that is instantly received and sent to the respondent. Is there room for improvements for communication within organizations? Yes, there is room for improvements for communication within organizations. I believe that all hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics should go to the Electronic Medical Records. They are more beneficial to the staff and even the patients. I feel they are more beneficial to the staff because all the information they need for the patients they are tending too are right there in one spot instead of a bunch of papers in a chart. EMR charts are just a click there and there is the information for the staff. Also the EMR is beneficial to the patients because a paper could be lost in translation and on the EMR their information can be saved in the observation room right then and there. Electronic medical records can send prescriptions to the pharmacy of the patient’s choice right there at the appointment of that patient. The computer also gives the staff information of what type of medication that patient can have if they are expecting a child and more medical situations. It is informational for the staff instead of having to leave the patient until the end of the appointment. Communication is split into two parts one being the message or content and the channel it’s transmitted on. For example, you may want to communicate something about your emotional state, let’s say you are happy. You can communicate that over a variety of channels. They are writing a letter, sending an email, communicate it non-verbally or para-verbally, tape recording, etc. , of how excited you are. The way health care organizations disseminated health information internally are in a variety of ways. The varieties of ways are memos, emails, letters, and telephone, and person to person. Health care organizations also disseminate health information externally as well. The varieties of ways externally are telephones, letters, email and memos, and person to person. Communication has many channels of how it is dispensed to and from other organizations and people in general. It is all how it is used and received. References Bascal & Associates. (2008-2010). Communication channels are important, what are communication channels and why are they important. Retrieved on August 17, 2010 from https://www. work911. com Diaz-Duque, O. (1989). Communication barriers in medical settings: Hispanics in the United States. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 7993. Retrieved from SocINDEX with Full Text database. Gagnon, L. (2004). Listening, hearing, 'being in the moment' leads to success, satisfaction. Dermatology Times, 25(11), 78. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database. Rosemarie Nelson. (2005). Connecting the Providers in Your Healthcare Community: One Step at a Time. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 22(2), 13-28. Retrieved August 22, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global.

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