Effective_Communication

EXPLAIN THE ROLE OF AFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION IN A HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE CONTEXT. Communication is a flow of information, thoughts and ideas from one person to another through various ways such as body language, writing and speaking. Effective communication is where people are able to understand each other. Communicating effectively is important as it improves the relationship between the patient and care giver, patient satisfaction, mutual understanding and personal growth. There are contexts in which communication takes place which are • One on one-this is interaction between two people. It is important to create a good atmosphere before conducting business. A greeting at the beginning of a conversation and making small talk such as asking about the weather, it makes one feel relaxed, respected and confident. Going straight into business makes people feel nervous and unimportant. A greeting at the end is also essential. • Group communication- it is much more complicated as it involves more than two people. All people included need to take part for better results. The leader of the group needs make sure everyone contributes as there are others that are loud and some that never speak, also making sure they speak in turns not all at once. It is a way of sharing responsibilities, decision making and improves problem solving by sharing skills and ideas. A group has much more impact than acting as an individual. • Formal communication- it is an official form of communication such as between a professional person and a patient. The use of slang and jargon is avoided. Answering the phone is done in a proper manner such as “Good morning, Dr Brown’s office, how can I help'” and when writing letters proper punctuation and grammar are used. • Informal communication- it is usually between people you know such as friends and family and more relaxed than formal communication. There is use of slang and abbreviations such as LOL (laugh out loud) and KMT (kissing my teeth). It still requires respect even though there is less concern on the use of grammar. Adjusting the way you speak in accordance to the situation is important, as people might feel disrespected. • Communication between colleagues- can happen on both one to one and group context on a daily basis. Good listening and verbal skills respect and trust each other is important. Communication can be formal and informal but should be in a skilled manner to maintain trust and respect. • Communication between professionals and service users- it could be at activity sessions, appointments, meetings and reviews. For effective communication it is important they are not misunderstood thereby using simple language that is not too complicated such as medical terms. Service users might feel intimidated and unsupported. • Communication with other professionals; multi-agency working and multi-professionals- multi-agency working is between different care organisations and multi-professional involves different types of care givers working as a team. This includes therapists, social workers, nurses and psychologists. They use one to one and group communication skills to share ideas and work together for the benefit of the patient. Communication is done formally to achieve goals, avoid misunderstanding and for respect and informally once team members are well acquainted.