Communicating with Special Cases of Patients

Flashcards for communicating with special cases of patients.

Allaying Fears (Child Patients)

Moderate your language, get down to the level of the child, and use a positive and non-threatening tone of voice.

Building Rapport with Child Patients

Ask the child about their likes and dislikes (pets, siblings, favourite toy, favourite TV show).

Appropriate Language (Child)

Avoid using complicated medical terminology or jargon and negative words like hurt and sting. Offer lots of reassurance and listen carefully.

Distraction (Child Patients)

Use toys, singing, or technology to reduce pain and distress during medical procedures. Does not mean to trick a patient.

Intellectual Disability Definition

IQ < 70 along with significant difficulties in adaptive behaviours and daily living skills such as self-care.

Receptive Communication Difficulty

Difficulty understanding language that is complex and contains abstract concepts or technical jargon.

Expressive Communication Difficulty

Trouble expressing concerns, symptoms, thoughts, or feelings due to cognitive impairment.

Strategies for Good Healthcare: Attitude

Convey respect, use an appropriate tone of voice, and do not raise your voice.

Strategies for Good Healthcare: Communication (Receptive)

Ensure you have the person’s attention, speak slowly and directly with clear, short sentences and use simple words. Check understanding.

Strategies for Good Healthcare: Communication (Expressive)

Provide plenty of time to respond, ask “yes/no” questions, use visual clues, and observe facial expression and body language.

Strategies for Good Healthcare: Working with Carers

Family members usually have extensive knowledge of the person’s history, personality and function and are a valuable source of information. Respect the contribution of carers.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A neurological disorder with a wide range of symptoms, severity, skills, and level of disability. People with ASD tend to seem as if they exist in a private world, self-absorbed, unable to successfully communicate with others nor interact with them.

Tips for Communicating with Autistic Patients

Don’t speak as if the person is not in the room, be sure you have their attention, provide meaningful feedback, take time to listen, wait for a response, and provide simple instructions.

Stammer or Stutter

To speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of words. People who stammer can have most difficulty when starting to speak and less difficulty once underway.

Helpful Tips for Stammering

Give the caller plenty of time to speak; Please don't EVER ask 'have you forgotten your name?’; Ask them to repeat it. Don’t make remarks like: “Slow down,” “Take a breath,” or “Relax”

Communicating with Stammering

Don’t interrupt or speak over them, Don’t try to guess or finish their words, Maintain natural eye contact, listen, and wait until the person has finished speaking, Speak in an unhurried way — but not so slowly as to sound unnatural.

Communication Strategies for Angry Patients

Do not speak while someone is shouting, Acknowledge when a patient is angry or upset, Use positive verbal and body language, Try articulating any disagreement, Offer options, Consider whether you are the best person to deal with a particularly difficult situation, Forgive quickly

Positive Language

“It seems you have a different viewpoint on this situation. Let me explain our position”. Avoid negative language: “You neglected to,” which indicates they are lying; “I fail to understand how,” which makes the person seem less intelligent

Body Language

Eye contact, Cool facial expression, Hands and arms in front of your body, Smile and Not too close