General Discussion Healthcare Barriers Part 1

After reading chapter 23 in your textbook, describe three barriers to communication, as well as ways in which healthcare workers can break these barriers to communicate effectively with patients/residents

First let’s understand the question, before we can understand an answer to this discussion. Communication between patient and professional in a quality of aspects help us interact with each other a little better. The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health 2003 is developing effective communication between patients who speak different languages who come from different cultures, creed, and backgrounds. An effort to reduce, or eliminate health disparities (National Center for Health Statistics, Healthy People 2000, 2010).
Well, what we know as about ‘Barriers’? Well, a Barrier is like a wall, a block of vision, or type of force keeping the inevitable from performing its task. Such barriers include language, to ensure the proper treatment, and amount of competency being made is in an orderly manner. As we discussed this in class earlier about the ‘Bill of Rights’ patients rights, we all have so many rights in Healthcare. Thus as students we learn to become ‘Culturally Competent’ (Fortier et al. 1998; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights 2001; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, Closing the Gap 2001), having the permission to get consent from our patients before and after tasks given to us, right? Right? Okay, so we now know that there is a ‘Cultural Barrier’ here.

So what do we know of ‘Communication’? Communication is the means of interacting with my fellow classmates, right?

Okay, so the common Barriers shown in Page 208 of our book, to Communication are;
1. The Hearing Impaired Resident
2. The Blind Resident
3. The Difficult Resident
4. The Confused Resident
5. The Unknown Resident

Well, let me begin by telling you about them and how all of these come into play. This is my playground, and you get a treat from me through these discussions, as my original classmates such as Brian have experienced this in all of our classes. I do not do half-a&*Ed discussions, so this will be a treat.

For most people, patients, and care givers (Could be a Nurse, or Doctor, or responsible residence), we come across a little hinder that can lead into a possible large argument or misunderstanding. On Page 208 of the CNA 111 book, we read the Barriers, but prior to that page in Chapter 23 beginning, in Page 205 explains the definitions of Aphasia = (Loss of ability to use language effectively), Body Language = (Communicating through posture or facial expression or actions), Communicate = (To exchange information or opinions).

For some patients who are either blind, or just plain difficult, these patients are the ones, I believe are in more need of attention, and to be handled with the greatest care. I say, the greatest care, as if it is your life or death situation, you understand. This I critical, for they are the ones that depend in the hospitals expertise. There is a balance, we must be accurate when taking their vitals (It does not hurt to check more than 3 or more times to be sure, trust me, please). We must be consistent, in being helpful no matter how difficult a patient may be, the many times out of 1. Patients may be tired, and not want to fight anymore. (But please be polite and courteous at ALL times). This repetition of politeness, goodness, will rub off, who knows; you may have already healed the patient back to health, just by being an ‘ANGEL’ to their needs. For the blind person, we usual will use a brachial, what is that word Brail language, giving them options, where hopefully they can still hear, so we can read in detail, help the patient to understand better our policies, our plans, for this patient the task we will be administering him/her/it.

When I was a little boy, I remembered at four-years old my first doctor visit was at Kaiser Permanente. I will not disclose any details about his name, or what it was for? (Here I consent to disclose this much information). I remember asking the doctor questions about what he was doing? He explained in a generous manner in detail, what he was doing, and why? He then proceeded to administer a needle into my arm with ‘stuff’ in it. (My mother was in the room, with me). I did not know what it was?? I started to cry, so he stopped. He then, told me a story of how he became a doctor, I was intrigued. So, I was then occupied by my mother’s hands where she was playing with me, clapping and joking with me. My head was turned towards my mother, she both of my arms, then the doctor just swiftly poked me with that needle, I was so gravely afraid of. I really did not feel it, except later on, the ‘stuff’ was started to burn inside my arm, just like the doctor said it would. I was not clear myself to what that was, but apparently my mother knew I was going to be in excruciating pain. So she, tried to calm me down of course, after I cried and cried, because I did not know what was growing inside of me. But the doctor then made it better by putting in front of my face a nice ‘big lollipop’, and a sticker. It’s funny, but true. My mother took me to get ‘Ice Cream’, and my favorite sweet ‘pomegranates’. I was fine coming out of the doctor’s office, but as soon as we came in the store I was in pain, like I was dying or something. My mother handed me the big waffle cone of ‘Butter Pecan’, and I shoved it right on my arm. I felt better; the ice cream was demolished, melting down my arm. My mother did not mind, for it kept my mouth shut. So here, I’m walking home with my mom, holding her hand, and with the other hand the ice cream dripping down my arm. I had to take a bath of course, once I came home.

So you see, it’s a matter of tactical measures, and applying code of conduct, professionalism, and help of our parents. We grew up with this kind of behavior, so let’s practice better tactics, and better politeness.

These key words are what should be applied while communicating; speaking and listening. These can be used in the form of; Written, nonverbal, and effective use of communication. Other means of communication have three other key ingredients; Body language (We all know through visual, and perception of what women say in body language, wow!), moving on. Eye Contact (How you fell in love with your sweetheart in high school, right? Right?) Touch (These sensors in our bodies signal our brain through our ‘Nervous System’, through means of Nerve Impulses).

In other words, we listen to our patients, as simple, polite and courteous reply’s to find out about their situation, if there is pain, where, when, how, why do you think? Questioning the patient in a more approachable composure, finding the true nature of origins in their visit. If it may be a child, then ‘laughter’ is the key, not necessarily taking the kid to be your own, but to baby him/her/it. This goes for the elderly, they want nothing, but maybe wanting their visit to the doctor a pleasant one. (Many elder patients are always at the hospital, boring, scary, you name it). So observing, knowing what the patient needs, wants, but do it as a professional, and do it to where it does not hinder our code of ethics.

The language barriers may also reduce patient’s abilities to follow provider instructions for treatments (Collins et al. 2002; David and Rhee 1998; Manson 1988), to comprehend with spoken criteria for further follow-up care (Enguidanos and Rosen 1997; Manson 1988). This can also, lead us to the confusion part of our lesson, where the patient we are treating, is able to retain adherence of our communication, then this is not consistent. We all need consistent and precise communication to understand what is being told to us, right? “If we cannot, then we are not professionals”. Who agrees, I hope all of you do? Because I sure would not want some ignorant incompetent that can’t even compose his/herself/thing professionally, and know what the hell that he/she/it is talking about, right? This brings me to the third most important barrier, Health Literacy.

The ‘Unknown Barrier’ I think would be Health literacy. This is defined: “The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions”. (National Center for Health Statistics, Healthy People 2010). Who here is a minority, I am? In 1994 Commonwealth Fund’s Minority Health Survey, confirmed that our language, culture, and our minority groups are the cause of most of these barriers. Most of the time we come across resident’s that may be difficult because of language, culture, or he/she/it may feel like a minority. Like I said long ago, in our first topic summary assignment. “WE MUST BABY THE PATIENT”. We are here, to learn, to become professional nurses, X-ray Technicians (Which most of you were so many wanting to be, last discussion), RNA, LVN”S, EKG’S, did I miss any titles, well whatever it may be, are here to ‘serve the people’. We have lost track of our great nation’s founded fathers, remember back in grade school, as little toddler’s, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington. We lost our language to speak, to communicate as people. So that’s why I think Healthcare will teach the government, to be able to help our nation get back in our feet, the right way. Let us not fall into their nonsense, but to be Healthcare professionals, and teach everyone, our patients, our doctors, our own families that we are better people than the ones taking lives. (Please refer back to my Capital Punishment research, blog, essay, and movement).