Caring and Communication Ch. 3

Ethics of Caring Caring (as a feeling) =df concern for others Caring (as an action) =df efforts made to support the well-being of others Caring in the context of the imaging professional often involves communication, but not always: ○ preparing your equipment so the patient’s visit is brief is not communication, but is caring when concern for the patient motivates you

Ethics of Caring Communication is often two way, but not always Being attuned to a patient’s feelings and reacting accordingly is communication ○ a patient appears anxious and you speed up ○ one way transfer of information about another’s mental states, from the patient to you

Ethics of Caring Aids to improving communication (see p60-61):  Communications classes that address body language and listening skills  Critical thinking classes that focus on recognizing, analyzing, and evaluating ethical problems  Discuss films that illustrate caring scenarios (e.g., The Doctor, … and House!)  Empathy rotations that require students to become patients for a day  Review patient surveys that ask about how caring their care was

Law “[A]ttorneys estimate that a clinician’s communication style and attitude are factors in 75% of malpractice lawsuits.” –p65 Most frequent problems:  Inadequate explanation of diagnosis  Inadequate explanation of treatment  Patient feels ignored

Law Health Literacy (p63): General literacy (the ability to understand through reading) affects health literacy  About half of the adults in the US read at or below 9 th grade level  Most health care materials are written at or above a 10 th grade level So, imaging professionals need special skills to improve the chances their patients understand them

Law 6 Steps to Improve Communication (top of p66): 1. Slow down 2. Use plain, nonmedical language 3. Use pictures when you can 4. Prioritize to limit information 5. Repeat the information 6. Use teach back or show me technique 7. Enlist others to help (family and friends) (I know, I know … but steps 4 and 5 are combined in the book) Name five unlisted virtues of the picture above as it relates to communication

Law Studies show (see p66-67) that patients injured through negligence are not likely to file a lawsuit unless they are also dissatisfied with the care they were shown by health care professionals: Make a friend of your patient