2 communication and palliative care medicine.pptx

COMMUNICATION AND PALLIATIVE CARE IN ZAMBIA CBU SOM

1. communication and palliative care medicine (communication between professionals; communication with the public, politicians, and the media) Group3 subgroup. Question 3

2. Importance of communication in palliative care Communication with professionals Communication with the public Communication through the media Communication with the politicians The Challenges faced in communication Objectives

3. . What is palliative care? Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness such as cancer , cardiac disease such as  congestive heart failure (CHF ),  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),   kidney failure ,  Alzheimer’s ,  Parkinson’s ,  and more recently  COVID-19 just to mention a few. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the for the family .   What is communication? Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message and an intended recipient, although mostly the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus, communication can occur across vast distances in time and space Definitions

4. Importance of communication in palliative care 1.Mastering communication skills helps all health professionals to balance empathy and hope when discussing advanced illness. 2.If health professionals communicate nicely, they create a sense of trust and security for both the patient and the family. 3.Effective, patient-centred communication is key to quality care. (SP Kumar. 2014) 4.creates a swift channel between health professionals and the public and politicians either physical gatherings or through the media.

5. 5. It influences policy making which will focus on the delivery of palliative care and health services at large. 6.To improve the patient’s emotional condition, provide relief from pain and help reduce the stress experienced daily Importance continued…

6. Communication among professionals is very vital in patient treatment, it is among the requirement of a patient-centred based therapy aids the understanding and decision-making about the patient deteriorating condition , collaborative decision making through references to patients wishes and providing options. Communication with professionals

7. Could provide options , highlighting continuing care by explaining comfort care to the public, tailoring information to individual understanding centred on honesty and clarity to avoid false hope and providing information repeatedly and in bits. Communication with the public

8. For example, televised or radio programs could be conducted where a qualified health professional is hosted so as to provide correct information health matters and how to provide care. Scientific literature shows how promotional campaigns in the mass media may help to promote palliative care both from a social and from a health care point of view ( Muszbek K. 2007) Looking at the fact that in Zambia , the life expectancy has increased by a factor 0.45% (united nations projections 2021) and the inevitability of developing disease such Alzheimer’s disease in the old population and the also the propensity of almost the entire populace to consume ‘junk’ ,unhealthy food. the role of communication through the media is to encourage health promotion and disease prevention by working hand in hand with qualified health practitioners. Communication through the media

9. The concept of inclusivity in the development of health policies could be seen in the failure of the 2017 Community Health Strategy (CHS) which was meant to last 5years but was withdrawn two years after it was enacted. This was owing to the lack of participation or communication with the key stakeholders , the health providers, hence its futility. Policy makers (politicians) should communicate with the key stakeholders as far as health matters are concerned Communication with the politicians

10. Training health professionals the art of communication skills . Its not easy to train for it needs more practice than just knowledge Financial challenges. Hosting communication skills workshops needs finances. Social cultural variations. Cultures too concerned about age differences and matters to be discussed between an elderly patient and a young doctor Organizational setup. Bureaucracy Change of government hence health policy severed . The Challenges faced in communication

11. It suffices to say that , communication is a key aspect in the provision of health services, education of the masses, and generation of grounds for favourable environments for the execution of palliative care or simply caring for those that need it most. Boarding on the 7Cs of communication, It should be correct, concrete , coherent ,courteous ,complete, concise and clear. All these put in place with the right players, the agenda, sender, channel and receiver, palliative care could effectively be practiced and promoted. Conclusion

12. Thank you…