2015 Articles

Let’s Talk About Improving Communication in Healthcare

Gordon, Jonathan; Deland, Emme; Kelly, Robert

Healthcare providers don’t talk to each other enough. Members of the care team—physicians, nurses, social workers and even caregivers—don't spend enough time communicating with each other about the patient's needs, and no one from the care team spends enough time communicating with the patient. The increasingly complex needs of patients, an explosion of medical knowledge, and seismic shifts in healthcare systems have set the stage for a need for more effective communication. Additionally, today’s new models of care are focused on maintaining health rather than responding to acute illness. Success demands team-based approaches that are centered on close collaboration among all types of providers from across the care continuum. As a result, achieving the Triple Aim of improving quality, lowering costs and enhancing the patient altered and improved communication strategy.