communication skills for medical personnel

[laxmi]

Hi friends,

We are seeing more violence in medical institutions in recent days which is reflected in our website and forum. I think we need to be aware of the better communication in dealing with these since the inception of the patients in the clinics. Do we lack the communication skill communication in our curriculum, as our Hutchison doesnot deal with these issues?

How can we deal with these from our sides, no doubt there exists misunderstanding from the patients side to a greater extent? Are we equipped with all these to make the matter easy in coming days?

Laxmi

[Alpine]

Yh, its a very serious thing I read many article about those voilence through xenoMED. I too feel like there is lack of communication in our curriculum, no where in our medical training communication skill is taught.

I think its also vital to have the communication skill in our profession. Why don't we discuss and make an article as how to communicate with the patient.???????????

[CSF]

yh i too think communicatin skill is needed for us.

[laxmi]

yes friends! we should be knowing them because taking history and examining the patients taking them only as subjects have been the whole thing our books and teachers have taught us. we should be alert about these issues as they matter a lot in our successful career.

I think we should go through couple of articles and chapters on the books which deal with these matter to know more about it and have discuusion on them and prepare one for our settings so that we remain updated and are more concerened about it.

Laxmi

The quality of our life is the qualilty of our communication both with ourself and with others. I truly believe in this thought.
Many times we try to communicate with some one and when he does not understand, we say, he is junk, he doesn't understand. I believe that intention means nothings , results means everything for communication.Lets say, if i say to u " I love you" and u get all upset, then , why not change the way i talk with u, and say in more concerned way and what if that doesn't work, i say it differently until my point is understood. I don't intend u to love me, but understand my feelings for you.Does that ring a bell ?
What we speak is only 20% of communication, rest is tonality, body posture,gestures,breathing patterns. Why not learn to improve on it.Simple changes create lasting results in long term,isn't it?.There is a whole separate science called Neuro-Linguistic Technology dedicated to the effective use of communication.
It is mainly used by the sales person, but i believe would be equally effective to anyone interested in expressing oneself in a much empowering way to others.

[Hero]

Truly...have u ever explained the disease condition, causes, treatment method n prognosis to the patients? When you do an EKG, have u ever explained the patient what does that EKG show? Interns and even pre-interns run OPD in Nepal..a patient who was referred from Jumla to Bir Hosp and an intern doc treats him, is this a way to treat patients in Nepal? Health care system in nepal is totally rubbish, docs are treating patients as an animal model on which they can practice.

[pathakom]

yeap thats true that people in medical profession need 2 deveilp communication skills............with chaps without it we r fighting not 2 sleep in classes. we have 2 tell patients about there problems during our visit 2 wards but it is never as better as them communicating with the pt. but guys we have 2 learn from this. as least we need to be better communicator. it is said that if u talk 2 patient properly half the disease is cured coz they believe doctors so much. imagine the situation in hospital where most doctors r foreigners like manipal in pokhara.....its really pathetic. so we have 2 develop it by now, on day 2 day conversdation..........i believe

[Suvash]

communication is important in everyfield of our life.... though the literal meaning of "you look like my mom." and " you look like my fathers wife." is similar the sense and the impression these two sentences give are totally different. and the latter one sounds more offensive as well. so the thing is the way you say anything makes all the difference. and its an art.. communication is an art.. and it should be included in our curriculum... but i think we can do it better with our own effort than through some lectures on communication skills... after all how seriously do we take the lectures....

[de.malady]

every -physical examination- book i hav read so far, that all hav put such a heavy emphasis on -histroy taking-; they all say that by digging the histroy as deep as possible and not missing a single -should ask- question & -should hear- answer when talking to a patient.. this all is enough to highlight the importance of -communication skills for medical personnels-; without such skills we won't be able to ask everything to the patients we should be asking for starting effective therapy; as for those shameful hospital violences in our country, i feel that nepali public do not care about their dignity much and they do not even care to think for a minute by their own perspective;
even if when it's carelessness from hospitals that cost the lives of the patients, there are ways to treat the respective culprit and not the stupid violence of rage but sad to say that people do not care to change themselves..

[bishnurath]

the point of discussion is quite pertinent
but i'd like to put violence in other form common to medical colleges in nepal

its regarding clash based on nationality
recently we had one at MCOMS big enough to make police intervention nd arrest
i ve hearsd abt it in universal nd nepalgunj

is it coz of lack of communication or lack of conscience nd broad thinking
i take multinationalism as an oppertunity to cater cultural exchange
there r certainly few nuts worthless for anything but shud we promote groupism nd organised violence based on these few ppl

how common is it in ur colleges nd what do u guys think abt it