Effective healthcare worker-patient communication in Hong Kong accident and emergency departments

Slade, D; Chandler, E; Pun, J; Lam, M; Matthiessen, CMIM; Williams, G; Espindola, E; Veloso, FOD; Tsui, KL; Tang, SYH; Tang, KS

Effective healthcare worker-patient communication in Hong Kong accident and emergency departments

Slade, D

Chandler, E

Pun, J Lam, M Matthiessen, CMIM Williams, G Espindola, E Veloso, FOD Tsui, KL Tang, SYH Tang, KS

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2015, 22 (2), pp. 69 - 83
Issue Date:: 2015-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Slade, D https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6143-5989	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Chandler, E https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4174-3663	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pun, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lam, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Matthiessen, CMIM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Williams, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Espindola, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Veloso, FOD	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tsui, KL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tang, SYH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tang, KS	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine, 2015, 22 (2), pp. 69 - 83	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1024-9079	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36242
dc.description.abstract	© 2015, Medcom Limited. All rights reserved. Introduction: This paper reports on research conducted within a Hong Kong (HK) accident and emergency department (AED), which investigated the effectiveness of health care worker-patient communication over the course of patients' journeys from triage to disposition. Methods: The research combined qualitative and quantitative ethnographic methods with linguistically-oriented discourse analysis of audiotaped interactions between patients and health care workers. It involved: (1) observations, (2) semi-structured interviews with management and health care workers, (3) surveys with AED staff, (4) audio-recordings of 10 patients' journeys, and (5) follow-up interviews with patients. Results: The paper described the typically complex communication networks involved in AED care. It then exemplified how certain communicative strategies, balancing the communication of medical knowledge with interpersonal communication, could be used to achieve positive healthcare outcomes. This was illustrated by a case study of one patient's journey through the AED, pinpointing health care workers' effective use of communication strategies, their effect on the patient's participation and subsequently the patient's understanding and evaluation of the care he received. Conclusion: The high stress nature of AEDs inevitably poses challenges to communication. The results of this study, however, strongly suggest a correlation between health care workers' use of effective, interpersonally sensitive communication strategies and positive patient outcomes. Health care worker-patient communication that effectively balances interpersonal communication with the communication of medical expertise is integral to ensuring patients' participation in, understanding of, and satisfaction with their healthcare. These communication strategies should be required components in health care worker communication training.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/102490791502200201	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Emergency & Critical Care Medicine	en_US
dc.title	Effective healthcare worker-patient communication in Hong Kong accident and emergency departments	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	22	en_US
utslib.for	2004 Linguistics	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	22	en_US

Abstract:

© 2015, Medcom Limited. All rights reserved. Introduction: This paper reports on research conducted within a Hong Kong (HK) accident and emergency department (AED), which investigated the effectiveness of health care worker-patient communication over the course of patients' journeys from triage to disposition. Methods: The research combined qualitative and quantitative ethnographic methods with linguistically-oriented discourse analysis of audiotaped interactions between patients and health care workers. It involved: (1) observations, (2) semi-structured interviews with management and health care workers, (3) surveys with AED staff, (4) audio-recordings of 10 patients' journeys, and (5) follow-up interviews with patients. Results: The paper described the typically complex communication networks involved in AED care. It then exemplified how certain communicative strategies, balancing the communication of medical knowledge with interpersonal communication, could be used to achieve positive healthcare outcomes. This was illustrated by a case study of one patient's journey through the AED, pinpointing health care workers' effective use of communication strategies, their effect on the patient's participation and subsequently the patient's understanding and evaluation of the care he received. Conclusion: The high stress nature of AEDs inevitably poses challenges to communication. The results of this study, however, strongly suggest a correlation between health care workers' use of effective, interpersonally sensitive communication strategies and positive patient outcomes. Health care worker-patient communication that effectively balances interpersonal communication with the communication of medical expertise is integral to ensuring patients' participation in, understanding of, and satisfaction with their healthcare. These communication strategies should be required components in health care worker communication training.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36242