OA Dr David Fuchs with patient
Photo: Ordensklinikum Linz / ordensklinikum.at/aktuelles
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Successful communication in healthcare professions

Communication in healthcare professions

Respectful communication is always important - especially in healthcare professions. Doctors at the Ordensklinikum Linz are now training their colleagues in successful communication skills.

Visits to the doctor and hospital stays are often associated with feelings of anxiety and worry for patients. Empathetic, respectful communication between doctors and patients is a great advantage in relieving or at least alleviating these emotions. This is because successful dialogue has been proven to improve

  • the therapeutic results,
  • the patient's sense of security and satisfaction,
  • coping with challenging situations.

Communication as a challenge

However, good communication with patients is actually a daily challenge for healthcare professionals. The quality of the conversation often suffers due to time pressure because it is seen as a routine activity and because doctors and healthcare staff have never really learned how to have a patient-centred conversation.

Training and reflecting on how to conduct conversations

This is where OA Dr David Fuchs, head of the St. Louise palliative care ward at the Linz Barmherzige Schwestern hospital, Priv.-Doz. Dr Holger Rumpold, Head of the Visceral Oncology Centre at the Ordensklinikum Linz and Univ.-Doz. Dr Ansgar Weltermann. As certified communication trainers, they support their colleagues throughout Austria in improving communication with patients and thus the quality of dialogue.

"The aim is both to train skills on how to conduct better conversations and to reflect on one's own attitudes and behaviour," says Univ.-Doz. Dr Weltermann. After all, the different perspectives of doctors and patients are often the cause of central miscommunication. "It's about the question of how to deliver bad news as a doctor as well as how to deal with patients' emotions," says Univ.-Doz. Dr Weltermann.

The three doctors believe that good communication skills are an essential qualification in healthcare professions that should definitely be learnt.

We think this initiative is brilliant!

 

Source: ordensklinikum.at

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