W4: Communication and Conflict

What are the different types of communication?

• verbal

• nonverbal

• healthcare communication

• interpersonal

• conflict resolution

What is verbal communication?

Form of communications based on language of words

What is vocal communication?

spoken language

What is nonvocal communication?

signs, signals that express language concepts like braille, writing, and sign language

What is nonverbal communicaton?

Messages expressed by body language

What can nonverbal communication affect?

A healthcare providers ability to communicate

What are some nonverbal vocal factors?

• vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch, tempo, cadence)

• val characterizers (crying, laughing)

What are some nonverbal non vocal factors?

• body position (posture, social space)

• movement of body parts like arms and hands

• eye movements and facial expressions

• appearance (grooming and dress)

What are the objectives for health communication?

• Skills to be effective communicators

• Have the attributes to share effective health info

• Recognize the barriers to effective health communication

• Recognize cultural factors that influence health communication

What is the goal of health communication?

To persuade behavior change that will support optimum health

What are the Healthy People 2020 health communication objectves?

• Shared decisions are made between patients and providers

• To give personalized, targeted, accurate, accessible and actionable information, tools and resources

• To increase health literacy skills

What are some barries to effective health communication?

• differences in social norms

• discomfort to perceptions about individual

• lack of sensitivity or respect

• distractions

• inability to hear, see, touch, speak

• emotional factors

• misunderstandings

• inability to access informations

• patient not ready to engage in health change behavior

• too much informations

• unable to respond or provide feedback

What is health literacy?

The ability of a patient to obtain, process, understand, and respond to health messages.

What can good health literacy do for a patient?

Motivates them to make health decisions that promote and maintain good health

Do large education populations have the highest treatment need and greatest barriers to recieiving health info?

yes

What populations have low health literacy?

• older adults

• immigrants

• minorities

• little no english speakers

• low education

• people below poverty level

What does less used of healthcare services and resources, proper health outcomes associate with?

low health literacy

how do we assess and provide health literacy to patients?

• helpful and friendly environment

• encourage questions

• provide help in completing forms

• build on the patient’s current knowledge

• Use plain understandable language

• use visual aids

• ask patient’s to explain instructions “teach back” method

What are social and economic factors?

The circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, play, and age.

What is another way to call social and economic factors?

social determinants of health

What does social determinants effect?

• the ability of individuals to receive and act on health messages.

• health status seen within and between populations

What responsibility do oral health professionals have when providing oral health education?

to address the needs of individuals in their context of environment and experience

What is culture?

an integrated pattern of human behavior that include the language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups.

What does culture directly influence?

values like health statuts. practices and beliefs

What does it mean that individuals have learned patterns of health knowledge and behaviors that must be transcended?

Each person has different learned health beliefs and habits, and healthcare providers must look beyond these differences to ensure equal access to quality care.

What can ignoring culture lead to?

Negative health consequences and/or poor clinical outcomes.

What is cultural competence?

When all health care providers practice competently (successfully) with patients from all cultures

How is communication with patients enhanced?

When the dental hygienist develops knowledge about and avoids stereotyping traditional behaviors and values of a patient’s cultural group.

How can you have good cultural communication verbally?

• professional interpreters can be used

What is non recommended to help with cultural communication verbally?

• family members or friends communicating

• asking children to interpret.

How can you have good cultural communication nonverbally?

• Follow patient’s lead for touching or personal space

• Use gestures with caution

• Follow patient’s lead for eye contact

What are cultural considerations to keep in mind?

• conducting assessment with culture in mind

• Asses to determine cultural identifications

• determine patient’s language, barriers, preferred method of communication

• Identify religious and health beliefs

• Identify and address cultural dietary considerations

• double check verbal and non-verbal signs

What are some culture and language influences patients have?

• beliefs or behaviors related to health, wellness and healing

• perceptions of illness, disease and causes

• attitudes toward accessing health services or providers.

• attitudes and behaviors can be different from providers

Culturally sensitive delivery of dental hygiene services can make what difference in oral health outcome?

positive outcome in oral health

When working with patients from different cultures recognize and examine what?

any personal bias

What are effectively delivering prevention interventions a healthcare provider should demonstrate?

• expertise in health and prevention

• understanding learning/behavior change theories

• relationship building skills

• interview and role model skills

• assessment for readiness to change behaviors

• attention to patient’s attitudes

• personal attributes of confidence and flexibility

What the skills to use for effective health communication?

• attentive listening

• sitting eye to eye with patient

• convey a nonjudgmental attitude

• reinforce respect and valuing of the patient

• maintain calm, unhurried demeanor

• use normal tone of voice and vocabulary

• look for clues, share observations, and ask questions

• do not jump to conclusions

• provide context for recommendations

What is rapport?

a close, harmonious relationship in which people or groups understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate very well

What does communication refer to?

the sharing of information among people.

Can interpersonal communication be formal or informal?

yes

What are the different types of channels of communication?

• upward communication

• downward communication

• lateral/horizontal communication

What is upward communication?

Students giving feedback to instructors

What is downward communication?

Teachers communicate with students

What is lateral/horizontal communication?

Students communicate with each other

What are two barriers to interpersonal communication?

1. person’s attitude, behavior, knowledge, education and personality

2. inappropriate transaction of words

What 4 things can start conflict?

1. wrong assumptions

2. varied perceptions

3. differing backgrounds

4. wrong inferences

What are the cons of conflict?

• distracts from the needed tasks and wastes resources on emotional upset.

What are the pros to conflict?

• improves understanding of the task

• improves group development

• improves quality of group decision making

What is neither a pro or con to conlfict?

Making people uncomfortable

What must a person do to resolve conflict?

a person must examine self-awareness in regards to one's reaction to situations involving conflict.

What are the most common responses to approaching conflict?

• avoiding

• accommodating

• competing

• comprising

• collaborating

What may happen when a conflict is managed?

Both negative and positive consequences may occur depening on how it was managed

How can conflict outcomes likely improve?

• active engagement rather than avoidance

• motivation to address the conflict

• Neutral and safe environment

• emotional skills to self examine

What skills can you gain from resolving conflict?

• behavioral skills

• cognitive skills

• emotional skills

How should we at CCD address a student patient conflict?

1. Attempt to resolve the conflict at least to the point of identifying the issues of each person concerned.

2. Inform the assigned clinical instructor of the nature of the conflict and involve them in the process.

3. Should the clinical instructor need assistance in resolving the conflict, she/he should inform the Clinical Coordinator.

4. The Clinical Coordinator may request a meeting with the student and patient in an attempt to resolve the conflict.

5. If the matter remains unresolved, the student, patient and Clinic Coordinator will meet with the Program Chair.  Only the Program Chair has the authority to dismiss a patient.

How do we at CCD resolve conflict in a student/clinical instructor setting?

1. Approach the clinical instructor at an appropriate time or make an appointment and attempt to resolve the situation.  If applicable, document specific issues using the “Student Communication Form”.

2. Seek resolution to the problem during the appointment.  Be realistic about each person’s role in the problem and be prepared to discuss this with the faculty. Bring possible solutions.

3. If the problem is not resolved during this discussion/appointment, make an appointment within one (1) day to confer with the appropriate Clinical coordinator.

4. The Clinical coordinator may request a meeting with the student and the clinical instructor in an attempt to resolve the conflict.

5. If unresolved, the student may submit a written request registering their complaint with the Dental Hygiene Program Chair.  The issues should be clearly and concisely written.  The Dental Hygiene Program Chair will establish a meeting within five (5) academic days of receipt of the complaint to resolve the issue.

6. If satisfactory resolution is still not achieved, make an appointment within one (1) day with the Dean of Health Sciences.