Basic communication skills

For undergraduate Medical students

1. Basic Communication Skills Dr . Vineeta Shukla 1

2. What is Communication? Countless number of ways that humans have of keeping in touch with each other It is the process by which we relate and interact with other people It is a mutual process between two sides (Dialogue) not a one sided monologue It includes listening & understanding with passion & respect as well as expressing views & ideas and passing information to others in a clear manner 2

3. Aims of Communication To promote the practice of effective communication within healthcare with patients, carers, colleagues and other professionals To bring about a change in the desired direction of the person who receives the communication ( This may be at cognitive, affective or psychomotor level) 3

4. Components of Communication Process 4

5. Sender Should know- His objectives Audience Message Channels of communication Professional abilities and limitations 5

6. Message Characteristics of good message In line with objective Meaningful Based on felt needs Clear and understandable Specific and accurate Timely and adequate Fitting the audience Interesting Culturally and socially acceptable 6

7. Channels of Communication Interpersonal communication Mass media Folk media 7

8. Receiver Audience is of two types Controlled- held by common interest Uncontrolled- gathered due to curiosity More homogenous the audience is, greater the chance of effective communication 8

9. Feedback Flow of information from audience to sender Interpersonal communication-immediate feedback Mass communication-takes time Methods of obtaining feedback-opinion polls, attitude surveys, interviews 9

10. Types of Communication Types Characteristics One-way Communication (Didactic method) Knowledge is imposed Learning is authorative Little audience participation No feedback Does not influence human behaviour Two-way Communication (Socratic method) More likely to influence human behaviour Verbal Communication Persuasive than written communication Non-verbal Communication Bodily movements, postures, gestures, facial expressions Formal and Informal Communication Visual Communication Charts, graphs, tables, pictograms Telecommunication and Internet 10

11. Barriers of Communication Physiological e.g. visual or hearing difficulties Psychological e.g. emotional disturbances, levels of intelligence etc Environmental e.g. noise Cultural e.g. Illiteracy, level of knowledge & education, language, customs & beliefs 11

12. Thank you 12