Miscommunication in healthcare caused nearly 2,000 preventable deaths in 2023 alone. Effective communication is the backbone of clinical care delivery, and this is why more healthcare organizations are prioritizing enhancing communication among staff. One out of every ten patients is harmed, and poor communication among clinical staff caused many of these incidents.
Incidents of miscommunication often lead to significant consequences for patients and clinical staff, costing upwards of $12 billion annually. These issues are why more businesses are opting for better ways to incorporate communication best practices in their training programs and enhance their team’s communication when considering compliance needs.
By addressing communication issues head-on, businesses can reduce incidents of patient harm, increase patient safety, and even reduce the rate of readmissions.
Identifying Primary Effects of Poor Communication in Healthcare
Miscommunication in healthcare can lead to a range of adverse patient outcomes, discrepancies with clinical documentation, and a higher chance of medical error. Consider the primary effects of poor communication across the healthcare industry and how they would directly affect your practice.
Chance of Medical Errors
Poor communication often results in medical errors, ranging from incorrect diagnoses to medication errors and treatment delays. These errors can be life-threatening and costly in many cases. Additionally, consider how one initial miscommunication can lead to other adverse incidents.
Solution: The best approach to reduce the chance of medical errors occurring is to maintain consistent communication throughout a patient’s care journey. If there are any gaps in the patient journey, patient safety is at risk, which is a primary reason that standardized communication protocols remain increasingly important.
Patient Dissatisfaction
When communication is lacking, it’s more likely that patients may feel or experience neglect in the care they need. This often leads to lower physician ratings and more mentions of dissatisfaction from patients.
Solution: Training providers and other clinical staff on the effects of useful communication in healthcare will often bridge the gaps between shift changes and care plans being delivered from staff to patients.
Heightened Workload for Providers
Miscommunication often leads to redundant tests, tasks, and observational periods. It also creates more administrative burdens and more time spent on charting. Not only does improper communication create more work for staff, but it can also decrease the quality of care delivered to patients.
Solution: Utilizing electronic health records systems that facilitate clear and comprehensive documentation can help streamline communication among providers, reducing unnecessary tasks and improving efficiency.
Continuous Poor Team Collaboration
Ineffective communication in healthcare can negatively alter how teams collaborate, especially in emergent situations. This can lead to more fragmented care, missed opportunities, and lower safety ratings.
Solution: Using centralized solutions for training, team communication, and compliance can alleviate the potential of poor communication among teams. Additionally, developing certain protocols or using the right communication strategy can decrease the chance of miscommunication or misunderstanding during the exchange of patient clinical information.
Is HIPAA Compliance Directly Affected by Poor Communication?
HIPAA compliance is directly affected by poor communication, considering that it is at a higher rate of being compromised when there are misunderstandings during the exchange of patient information. With more than 70% of patient harm being caused by incidents of miscommunication, it’s essential to enhance your compliance program. The primary way of doing this is by implementing compliance automation, centralizing compliance training, and tailoring training to employees’ roles.
To mitigate the risks associated with poor communication, staff should prioritize the correct strategies. For example, using SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) communication, a method of communication used among nurses to transition care more effectively, can enhance Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance and patient safety.
Better patient coordination and care transitions come from effective communication strategies, and effective communication comes from the right form of training.
Reducing Poor Communication in Healthcare With the Right Tools
Communication issues in healthcare put patient and employee safety at risk and can cause higher rates of readmissions in hospital settings and mishaps with certain elements of care like medication adherence.
The effects of poor communication across the industry not only increase the chance of adverse patient outcomes but also reduce trust and confidence in a practice and directly affect the success of employees. A primary way to combat the negative outcomes associated with poor communication is to streamline training efforts and compliance monitoring.
To safeguard your business with the right training solution, start by understanding what your team needs.
