Spoken communication and patient safety: A new direction for healthcare communication policy, research, education and practice?

Ledema, R; Greenhaigh, T; Russell, J; Amer-Sharif, K; Alexander, J; Gardner, P; Juniper, M; Majahan, K; Lawton, R; McGuire, P; Roberts, C; Robson, W; Timmons, S; Wilkinson, L

Abstract

This report sets out the findings of an NHS Improvement Working Group on Care Communication which included clinicians, patients, patient representatives, NHSI staff, and academics from different disciplines. The Group’s activities included running four national focus groups and discussion days, in addition to conducting national and international literature searches on healthcare communication and communication improvement. The Group's conclusions are that six domains of care communication warrant attention and improvement: the care environment, information exchange, attitude & listening, aligning & responding, team communication, and communicating with unique groups. Together, these domains expand the definition of healthcare communication from communication as information transaction to communication as complex social and local dynamic. The report outlines the consequences of this expanded definition for healthcare communication improvement and improvement research.

Citation

Ledema, R., Greenhaigh, T., Russell, J., Amer-Sharif, K., Alexander, J., Gardner, P., …Wilkinson, L. (2019). Spoken communication and patient safety: A new direction for healthcare communication policy, research, education and practice?. BMJ Open Quality, 8(3), Article e000742. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2019-000742

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 9, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Sep 26, 2019
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Deposit Date: Nov 25, 2019
• Journal: BMJ Open Quality
• Print ISSN: 2399-6641
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Article Number: e000742
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2019-000742
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2721509
• Publisher URL: https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/8/3/e000742