Communication Channels in Healthcare

              In healthcare communication is very important.  Communication channels that are used within an organization allow individuals to communicate through departments and to other organizations.  The communication tools that are used include health information management systems, written, electronic methods such as paging, emailing, faxing and telephone.

Health Information Management System

              Health Information Management Systems (medical records) and Master Patient Index “may be considered the most important resource in a healthcare facility because it is the link tracking patient, person, or member activity within an organization (or enterprise) and across patient care settings” (Practice brief: master patient (Person) index (MPI)—recommended core data elements, 1997). The medical record number key data element is on every patient who received services at the facility. The Health Information Management Department staff pulls the information into the coding system, or record tracking system. 

              Coding software like Code finder by 3M captures data, translate, and transmit the data. 3M describes the Code finder as,

Computer-Assisted Edition first analyzes and interprets text from multiple documentation sources created during a patient’s hospital stay, including electronic records and dictated and transcribed reports. Robust terminology mapping tools link specific textual data required for coding to the logic-based coding paths of the 3M Coding and Reimbursement System. Coders are prompted with suggested codes or immediately advanced as far as possible through the software’s expert logic paths (3M Introduces Computer-Assisted Coding Solution, 2008). 

Release of information systems is another important system within a healthcare organization.  Once a request for medical records is valid the request is entered into the system, along with the requestor type. Certain requestors are required to pay, and others are not. The software program based on the requestor type categorizes the payment type. If the chart is voluminous a ‘prepay’ is flagged for payment. Once the information is entered, the chart is requested, and the tracking component in the system is switched to denote that the record has been forwarded for copy, or in the copying process. Once the record is copied the bill is generated automatically based on the number of pages copied. The shipping stamp, and address label is printed off automatically corresponding to the weight of the estimated number of pages.

Written Communication

              Another form of communication that is used in healthcare is written communication.  Written communication is used in the form of staff evaluations and letters.  Evaluations are a written summary that a manager/supervisor reviews with their staff about their overall performance for the year.  Evaluations can be used when a person is looking for professional growth within a company.  Letters are utilized to put formal recognition of a job well done to staff. 

Electronic Methods

              In the healthcare field communication can help save someone’s life by conveying important information to physicians and nurses.   Electronic methods like paging, emailing and faxing are some ways that are used to communicate in the healthcare field.  Communication can be defined as the transfer of information.  Effective communication is a necessary tool that needs to be used in order for intradepartmental and external communication to occur.  Paging is something that is used when needing to speak with healthcare professionals immediately as oppose to leaving a phone message and waiting for a return call.  E-mails are effective because of the fast and timely method of sending and receiving information within the healthcare industry.  Emailing is used to communicate with cliental by providing updates and announcements of information.  Sending faxes is another popular use of technology which is often time used to send and receive copies of information pertaining to health insurance or verification of information.

Comparison

              In healthcare, no matter what form of communication is used, effective uses of those tools are important for the overall common good of the patient.  An example of how the tools are work in conjunction with one another is the transmission of information for a patient who needs to be seen in an Oncology Department.  Transmission of effective communication in an Oncology Department is an example of why it is important for physicians and nurses to receive timely and accurate information for a patient.  Good communication between each modality goes hand in hand with time-sensitive patient care information.  An example of this process is, after cancer has been diagnosed in a patient, that patient is assigned to an oncology team to work with during their treatments. 

              The oncology team will contact the radiation oncology department after an initial evaluation of the patient is conducted and the decision is made to consult with the radiation oncology department.  The team will contact the department by fax, email or alpha-page.  Faxing is a good way to send several consults over at one time.  The fax machine is checked hourly and the consults are read by the nurses and then delivered to the radiation oncologist that is handling that particular type of cancer.  This may create problems when the fax machine malfunctions by not having toner or becoming jammed.  Checking the fax hourly has helped to reduce the chances of missing faxed consults.  Patients under radiation treatment have to have an x-ray at least every 5th day of treatment.  This x-ray is used to verify the treatment area.  The therapists then email the patient’s physician and that physician will check those films to approve the treatment area.  The next day the therapist will check the film on the computer to the physician’s approval or corrections made by the physician.  This process works well when the physician checks the film.  If the physician does not check their email, the patient will have to wait until those films are approved.  Paging is used to contact physicians in an urgent or emergent case.  Since most physician dislike blind pages, alpha paging is used majority of the time.  Internet or intranet is needed to access this system of communication.  Alpha paging allows us to alert the doctor of an urgent situation.  The doctor can decide how to proceed with the patient’s case once they read the alpha-page.

Contrast

              Communication because of its importance takes much thought and time to decide what and how to disseminate to both internal and external organizations. The lack of proper dissemination can and will cause chaos and misunderstanding from within the organization meaning the staff members and other healthcare workers externally.  When there is a break in the communication process, misunderstanding will occur.  When a patients medical record is not properly documented this can result in medical errors that could ultimately be fatal to a patient.  Written communication when not written properly including correct grammar and punctuation can result in the wrong message being sent.  A manager may want to convey a congratulatory to an employee but by having incorrect grammar and punctuation, a person may read the letter as a scolding manner as oppose to the intended message.  Electronic methods are the main forms that when not functioning proper can cause major miscommunication in the work place.  Depending on electronic systems forces institutions to have downtime processes when the electronic methods that are in place cannot be used due to outages.

The greatest number of unintentional messages involves nonverbal behaviors. Unintentional communication takes place without the communicators being aware of what is being transmitted.  Research has studied that interpretative, qualtative methodology is being examin from an employee’s preception in the work place with in-depth sessions.  Intentional communication occurs when an individual has sent specific message that his or her set a goal in their mind. Therefore, if a person has a belief about what he or she is thinking, then the other person belief is a second-order intentional state. Communication is sufficiently complex which allows deception that occurs when the individual mistakes what the truth is intended.

Conclusion

              It is important to communicate information in healthcare efficient and effectively to ensure that healthcare professionals are equipped to make medical decisions accurately.  The communication tools of health information management systems, written and electronic method are all interrelated when needing to make decisions in healthcare.  No matter what communication tool that is used, it is importanct to ensure accuracy and timely delivery of the information.

References

3M Introduces Computer-Assisted Coding Solution. (2008, August 5). Retrieved May 29, 2009, from 3M: http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs66SMSrCOrrrrQ-

Absence communication. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2009, from Beyond Intractability: www.beyondintractability.org/ essay/absence_communication/

O'Kane, P. H. (n.d.) Intentional and unintentional consequences of substituting face-to-face interaction with e-mail: An employee-based perspected Retrieved June 5, 2009 from www.science.ulst.ac.uk/psyri/profiles/hargie_owen/documents/hargieintentional.pdf

Practice brief: master patient (Person) index (MPI)—recommended core data elements. (1997, Jul/Aug). Retrieved May 29, 2009, from American Health Information Management Association: http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_000073.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_000073

Vass, K. (2007, Mar/April). Internal Communication is the First Step in a Successful PR Campaign. 157 (2).