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Communication Techniques
The Communication Techniques used between a healthcare provider and a patient can lead to various outcomes. The quality of the interaction can determine whether the provider receives an appropriate amount of information. Healthcare providers encounter patients from diverse age groups, social backgrounds, and cultural heritages in various situations. These situations can either encourage patients to be more forthcoming or cause them to withhold information.
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The Interviewing Process and Influencing Factors
Numerous factors impact patients during the interviewing process, including their level of education, language proficiency, cultural background, and financial status, among others. Additionally, healthcare providers must establish a welcoming and trustworthy environment when conducting interviews with patients. It is essential to ensure that patients feel comfortable with the interview setting. Building trust between the patient and the provider is also crucial as each patient is unique.
Adolescence, a challenging life stage that spans from puberty to early adulthood, comes with specific expectations set by society and individuals within that age group. Adolescents grapple with various societal pressures related to education, personal relationships, and psychological development as they navigate experiences like experimenting with opposite-sex relationships, drugs, alcohol, and the responsibilities that come with entering adulthood, such as driving.
Cultural and financial backgrounds are closely tied to education and specific risk assessments. Adolescents often conform to social norms and may choose role models based on physical appearances. For instance, Hispanic/Latino adolescent boys may face a risk of alcohol or drug use. Research suggests that parental attachment, psychosocial factors, and cultural issues contribute to these risk factors. In some poorer communities, parents’ irregular work hours can lead to a lack of supervision over their children, resulting in problems like drug use, absenteeism, poor academic performance, and emotional stress. Additionally, adolescents in more impoverished communities may have to cope with crowded living conditions, making their living situations uncomfortable.
Assessing Risk
Using the CRAFFT risk assessment tool designed for adolescents allows for the evaluation of drug and alcohol use with sensitivity to the specific drugs used and considerations for race and ethnicity. The CRAFFT tool employs abbreviations to pose questions related to substance use and its impact on family, friends, and daily life. It’s worth noting that many middle and high school students have reported using alcohol, cigarettes, and other substances, as indicated in a 2016 report.
Sample Questions to Ask During Interviews:
1. How are you feeling today, and what brings you here?
2. Can you tell me about your living situation and who takes care of you?
3. How’s your home life with your family or household members?
4. How are things going for you at school, and do you have friends who treat you kindly?
5. Have you experienced any bullying, either at school, at home, or within your community?
6. Do you drive to school, or do you use public transportation?
7. Have you ever experimented with substances like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, or used any drugs to relax?
PSYC 6717 Discussion: Operant Conditioning
Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients is paramount for understanding patients’ needs and improving health outcomes. Poor communication can lead to patient dissatisfaction and the development of complex medical conditions. Furthermore, a patient’s living situation and their relationship with their parents or guardians play a significant role in determining the most suitable course of treatment. Your insights are highly appreciated.
References
Gattamorta, K. A., Varela, A., McCabe, B. E., Mena, M. P., & Santisteban, D. A. (2017). Psychiatric Symptoms, Parental Attachment, and Reasons for Use as Correlates of Heavy Substance Use Among Treatment-Seeking Hispanic Adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 52(3), 392–400. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/10826084.2016.1229338
Lee, C. A., Smith, D. C., Lanker, A., & Clary, K. L. (2021). Sensitivity and specificity of the CRAFFT to identify heavy cannabis use: Evidence from a large statewide adolescent sample. Addictive Behaviors, 122. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107006
Lee, K., & Clancy, B. (2020). Impact of Poverty on Adolescent Drug Use: Moderation Effects of Family Support and Self-Esteem. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 20(4), 272–291.
Spirito, A., Hernandez, L., Cancilliere, M. K., Graves, H. R., Rodriguez, A. M., Operario, D., Jones, R., & Barnett, N. P. (2018). Parent and Adolescent Motivational Enhancement Intervention for Substance-Using, Truant Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Trial. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 47, S467–S479.
RESPONSE
I appreciate the effort and research that went into your detailed response. I wholeheartedly agree that effective communication between healthcare providers and patients is a cornerstone of quality healthcare. The impact of communication on patient outcomes, satisfaction, information retention, and treatment adherence cannot be understated, as highlighted by Al-Amin et al. (2016). Your reference to the correlation between efficient communication and shorter stays, as well as less complicated conditions, emphasizes the practical implications of good communication in healthcare.
Furthermore, you’ve rightly pointed out that a patient’s living situation and their relationship with their parents or guardians can significantly influence their treatment and overall well-being. The link you made to the Mayo Clinic’s information on lead poisoning underscores how patient circumstances and environmental factors can impact health.
Your insights contribute to a better understanding of the importance of communication in healthcare and its far-reaching effects on patient care. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
References:
Al-Amin, M., Makarem, S. C., & Canose, J. (2016). The Effects of Hospital-Level Factors on Patients’ Ratings of Physician Communication. Journal of Healthcare Management, 61(1), 28–43.
Mayo Clinic. (2019). Lead poisoning. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354723
According to a 2011 Gallup poll, nurses are ranked as the most trusted professionals in the United States. One of the most admired nursing skills is the ability to put patients at ease. When patients enter into a healthcare setting, they are often apprehensive about sharing personal health information. Caring nurses can alleviate the hesitance of patients and encourage them to be forthcoming with this information.
The initial health history interview can be an excellent opportunity to develop supportive relationships between patients and nurses. Nurses may employ a variety of communication skills and interview techniques to foster strong bonds with patients and to effectively facilitate the diagnostic process. In conducting interviews, advanced practice nurses must also take into account a range of patient-specific factors that may impact the questions they ask, how they ask those questions, and their complete assessment of the patient’s health.
This week, you will consider how social determinants of health such as age, gender, ethnicity, and environmental situation impact the health and risk assessment of the patients you serve. You will also consider how social determinants of health influence your interview and communication techniques as you work in partnership with a patient to gather data to build an accurate health history.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Analyze communication techniques used to obtain patients’ health histories based upon social determinants of health
- Analyze health-related risk
- Apply concepts, theories, and principles related to patient interviewing, diagnostic reasoning, and recording patient information
Learning Resources
Assignment: Course Acknowledgement
This mandatory assignment is an acknowledgement that you fully understand the course guidelines.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Submit your Assignment.
Submission and Grading Information
Submit Your Assignment by Day 3 of Week 1.
To complete this assignment, follow the link below and answer the questions provided.
Week 1 Assignment
Discussion: Building a Health History
Effective communication is vital to constructing an accurate and detailed patient history. A patient’s health or illness is influenced by many factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, and environmental setting. As an advanced practice nurse, you must be aware of these factors and tailor your communication techniques accordingly. Doing so will not only help you establish rapport with your patients, but it will also enable you to more effectively gather the information needed to assess your patients’ health risks.
For this Discussion, you will take on the role of a clinician who is building a health history for a particular new patient assigned by your Instructor.
Photo Credit: Sam Edwards / Caiaimage / Getty Images
To prepare:
With the information presented in Chapter 1 of Ball et al. in mind, consider the following:
- By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned a new patient profile by your Instructor for this Discussion. Note: Please see the “Course Announcements” section of the classroom for your new patient profile assignment.
- How would your communication and interview techniques for building a health history differ with each patient?
- How might you target your questions for building a health history based on the patient’s social determinants of health?
- What risk assessment instruments would be appropriate to use with each patient, or what questions would you ask each patient to assess his or her health risks?
- Identify any potential health-related risks based upon the patient’s age, gender, ethnicity, or environmental setting that should be taken into consideration.
- Select one of the risk assessment instruments presented in Chapter 1 or Chapter 5 of the Seidel’s Guide to Physical Examination text, or another tool with which you are familiar, related to your selected patient.
- Develop at least five targeted questions you would ask your selected patient to assess his or her health risks and begin building a health history.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post a summary of the interview and a description of the communication techniques you would use with your assigned patient. Explain why you would use these techniques. Identify the risk assessment instrument you selected, and justify why it would be applicable to the selected patient. Provide at least five targeted questions you would ask the patient.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues on 2 different days who selected a different patient than you, using one or more of the following approaches:
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- Share additional interview and communication techniques that could be effective with your colleague’s selected patient.
- Suggest additional health-related risks that might be considered.
- Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.