Collaborative conversations in patient care

Healthcare experiences make for common stories from family, friends, and colleagues. Positive experiences may stem from the multidisciplinary team’s effective use of both collaboration and communication. Negative experiences may result from ineffective communication among the healthcare staff or with patients and families. Effective communication between healthcare professionals, patients, and families via collaborative conversations is essential to patient safety and optimal outcomes.

Poor communication leads to adverse events

According to The Joint Commission, issues in communication account for 59% of serious and preventable adverse events. Similarly, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) reports that hospitals can prevent diagnostic errors by improving communication, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports a pervasive problem with communication in healthcare, potentially leading to patient harm.

Because ineffective communication can occur at any level of healthcare, The Joint Commission included “Improve Staff Communication” in both its 2019 and 2020 National Patient Safety Goals, reinforcing the need to better these practices. Collaboration and communication among healthcare professionals within the multidisciplinary team can help prevent medication errors and other mistakes. Additionally, AHRQ recognizes the role of patients and their families as key determinants of safety in healthcare settings.

Including patients and families as integral members of the healthcare team provides an opportunity for them to express safety concerns to be addressed by healthcare professionals. If they do not feel comfortable raising issues with the staff, patients may fail to express these concerns and subsequently place themselves at risk.

Overcoming barriers to communication

Healthcare settings can be stressful, highly charged environments, increasing the need for collaboration. Collaborative conversations allow members of the healthcare team to think creatively, understand the desired outcomes, make decisions, develop solutions, define a shared process, disagree without arguing, and reduce conflicts.

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), “Communication, particularly in high-intensity environments such as health care, is not merely the transaction of words. Effective communication requires an understanding of the underlying context of the situation, an appreciation for the tone and emotions of a conversation, and the accurate information.”

The ANA and AONE published principles for collaborative relationships between nurses and nurse managers. They can be used to promote collaborative conversations throughout the healthcare team, as well as with patients and families, and may include effective communication, authentic relationships, and a culture of learning. The principles of collaborative communication include:

• active listening;
• ensuring accurate communication;
• sharing knowledge;
• understanding the message, its purpose, and the associated expectations;
• fostering open, safe environments;
• communicating to the appropriate individuals;
• cultivating authentic, caring relationships with patients and colleagues;
• respecting others’ personalities, needs, and wants;
• empowering and inspiring others to share ideas and recognizing and leveraging strengths;
• learning from mistakes;
• being clear on individual wants and needs but remaining open to negotiation.
   

Effective teamwork requires coordination, cooperation, and collaborative conversations for all of those involved in patient care, including the patients themselves. Their cooperation can assist the entire healthcare team and facility in providing exceptional care and positive outcomes.

Slovníček

collaboration – spolupráce
ineffective – neefektivní
healthcare staff – zdravotnický personál
serious – závažný
pervasive – všudypřítomný
key determinants – klíčoví činitelé
reduce – snížit, omezit
accurate – přesný
nurses – zdravotní sestry
active listening – aktivní naslouchání
understanding – porozumění
purpose – účel
fostering – podporující
relationships – vztahy
needs – potřeby
wants – přání
empowering – posilování
being clear on… – mít jasno v…
negotiation – vyjednávání
providing – poskytování

Source: KRONING M., ANNUNZIATO S. Collaborative conversations in patient care. 2020. [online]. Avail­able from: https://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?Article_ID=5227906&Issue_ID=5227753&Journal_ID=54016&utm_source=chatgpt.com.

 

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