Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Paige Melzer
Abstract
investigated the topic through an interview with someone in the professional field and
researched secondary sources online. The interview was from Erika Roark, an Administrative
Assistant at North Scottsdale Pediatrics. Secondary sources used for this research were articles
Settings, as well as an article by Niglio Figueirdo et al., ComOn-Coaching: The effect of a varied
number of coaching sessions on transfer into clinical practice following communication skills
training in oncology. The purpose of this report was to gain a better understanding of the
communication processes in a medical setting. The following memo presents the information
found.
Informal Report on Medical Professional Discourse
My Findings
The purpose of this investigative report is to report on the role of communication and different
forms used in the medical field. I interviewed an Administrative Assistant from a pediatric
doctor’s office as a primary source for this report. I also researched the topic through two
secondary sources in the form of online articles. Also discussed as follows are the importance of
e-mails, social media, and special terminology used in professional discourse in this field.
Online Findings
The secondary source used to further my understanding of professional discourse came from
the article Supporting Patient Provider Communication Across Medical Settings by Nordness and
Beukelman. The article discusses how poor communication may be to blame for medical errors
which have become the third-leading cause of death (Nordness, 2017). Nordness and
Beukelman wrote the article to explain some strategies to improve communication and
consistency in the medical setting. Some of these strategies include redefining communication
policies and procedures, devolving and educating on communication tools and patient-specific
supports, and becoming familiar with how to communicate with patients who have
communication disabilities or may speak a different language (Nordness, 2017). So not only is
effective communication important to decrease errors in the medical setting, but they also have
to be able to communicate and speak in an understandable language with all kinds of patients
to keep them informed.
The other secondary source used for this research was the article ComOn-Coaching: The effect
of a varied number of coaching sessions on transfer into clinical practice following
communication skills training in oncology: Results of a randomized controlled trial by Niglio de
Figueiredo et al. The article evaluates how effective communication skills in a medical setting
can be improved by coaching sessions (Niglio de Figueiredo, 2018). Physicians went through
workshops conducted by psychologists to learn how to better deal with emotions and
communicate with patients about a difficult subject (Niglio de Figueiredo, 2018). So, while these
are highly educated physicians, they don’t always know how to or see the importance of
communicating on a level that patients can understand while still being sympathetic and remain
professional. The need to simplify the medical jargon and language so patients can understand
what’s going on with them and what to do next is sometimes overlooked.
Compiling the research conducted, e-mails are a very important communication tool in the
medical profession and how they are written is crucial. After speaking with Erika Roark, she
guessed that she sends and reply’s to over a hundred emails a day, and the intended recipient
determines how she will write the email. If it’s with doctors or staff within the facility she keeps
things short and to the point while keeping a professional tone and language. If the e-mail is
with a patient she must use wording that they can easily understand and keep the message
informative and to the point. E-mails in a medical setting are used to set up appointments,
notify doctors or patients of a change, report on results, communicate general administrative
happenings at the facilities, and so many more reasons. It being the main tool of
communication means you have to know how to professionally interact through emails and be
able to adjust your language and tone depending on the recipient.
Social media and networking have become an interesting development in the medical setting
over the past couple years. Previously social media was used mainly as an unprofessional tool of
communication, but now all professions and fields are utilizing it. Doctor’s offices and hospitals
use platforms like Facebook to get their facility out there and communicate events and things
going on. Twitter accounts can be used to informally educate on new advances and information.
Social networking can even be used for job recruiting and applications. Hospitals now have
entire departments responsible for managing their social media sites. This advancement is
complex because everything posted on these sites must maintain a professional tone and
language since it represents the credibility and competence of the hospital or medical facility.
Everything must be accurate and scientifically backed up because of the source that is
presenting the information.
The medical field is filled with terms and jargon only understood by medical professionals. The
scientific terminology used throughout the field is enormous and very difficult to understand if
you’re not educated on the specific specialty. Terminology used within the field can refer to
treatments, prognosis, medications, diseases, conditions, acronyms, the lists are endless. This
being the case, it is important that professionals in this setting understand this and make what
they’re trying to communicate discernable to others. Confusing terms and jargon can make it
very confusing for a patient to figure out results and treatments personally affecting them.
Recommendations
References
Nordness, Amy S., and Beukelman, David R. “Supporting Patient Provider Communication
Across Medical Settings.” Topics in Language Disorders, vol. 37, no. 4, 2017, pp.334-347.
training in oncology: Results of a randomized controlled trial.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no.