Hand-Offs Become Quite Problematic When There is Poor Communication

Hand-Offs Become Quite Problematic When There is Poor Communication Overview
The healthcare sector is intricate, consisting of several independent elements coming together to work in synchrony for the best possible outcomes. There are many gaps in healthcare, one of them being ineffective communication. The working of any healthcare institution is usually greatly hinged on the effectiveness of communication between the various stakeholders therein. Continuity of care and a high-quality administration usually comes from effectiveness and efficiency in communication. When healthcare providers engage in their respective places of work within the same institution, they will most likely have their own decisions. When their decisions collide, each would want to prove that theirs is the right one, hence conflict of information. In another instance, there might be issues related to handing off during a change of shifts. Hand-offs become quite problematic when there is poor communication, which might result in medical errors.
Implications of Communication
Effective communication can be categorized as the most important element of healthcare after medication. Lack of effective communication in a healthcare setup is often the basis of many issues, such as medication errors. Once they go public, these medication errors can quickly degenerate into endless lawsuits against any given hospital. According to Shen and his team (2018), most medication errors often come during the administration stage and directly result from lapses in proper communication. They further note that these errors usually happen during a changeover. Rodziewicz, Houseman, and Hipskind (2022) believe these errors are generally preventable since they are primarily a communication function.
According to Ghezeljeh, Farahani, and Ladani (2021), pressure on nurses during emergencies places them at great risk of poor communication. They might suffer lapses during error communication, which can put the entire operation at risk of errors. While it might at first be a one-off thing, lapses in communication often result in poor communication due to the chain of events that are set off from the first lapse. Understanding where it all begins is crucial too. Chichirez and Purcărea (2018) acknowledge that interpersonal communication forms the basis of it all. Working on this as the first line of defense can help solve a lot throughout the greater organizational setup.
Steps Necessary for Quality Improvement
Quality improvement in a hospital or healthcare setup usually involves all the stakeholders. It is a collective effort and depends on everyone involved to play a role in it. The major challenge often occurs due to a distinct inadequacy in training on quality improvement (Chichirez and Purcărea, 2018). When they lack the technical know-how, implementing certain things won’t be there. The first thing to do is train them on the same. This will ensure they are prepared enough to take the next step toward embracing change. Avoiding resistance will, in turn, increase efficiency. The organization should arrange training programs for these professionals to ensure that they are updated on the recent developments in healthcare and technological innovations.
Also, there is a need to consider the cultural backgrounds of the people involved. Culture is a factor that should be considered since it defines the very aspect of the existence of every individual in a given workplace, including the healthcare institution. While developing a quality improvement plan geared toward improving communication amongst the staff, it is important to consider a community's ethnicity, beliefs, and customs. This usually defines how they relate from their respective backgrounds and how that has, in turn, played a role in how they will also relate in the workplace (Ghezeljeh, Farahani and Ladani, 2021). The uniqueness of a community in terms of culture, politics, economics, and demographics is vital and should be examined carefully.
Quality improvement that hinges on communication is quite crucial in the sense that it will influence the progress of the institution. Communication, measurement, and physician satisfaction with pay-for value can influence one's effort at population health management. These strategies will enable healthcare providers to provide quality services and meet the organization's established goals. Pay-for-value will ensure the organization has maintained the best performance from the physicians (Yoder-Wise, 2019). Healthcare providers wi...