PATIENT-CENTERED COMMUNICATION IN PHARMACY PRACTICE

PHCARE2
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
-It is the successful transfer of a message and meaning from on person or group to another.
-Meaning” is of greatest importance in this definition.
-For this transfer to be successful, both parties in the communication process (sender, receiver) must agree on
the meaning of what is being communicated.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
-The communication process consists of the communication cycle, which involves two or more individuals
participating in an exchange of information.
-The cycle involves the sender, or source, communicating a message to the receiver through a chosen channel of
communication, to which the receiver responds with feedback.

THE COMMUNICATION CYCLE INCLUDES FIVE BASIC ELEMENTS

1. The sender or source
2. The message
3. The channel or mode of communication
4. The receiver
5. Feedback

SENDER
-The sender is the person who sends a message through a variety of different channels.
-Channels can be spoken words, written messages, or body language.
-The sender encodes the message, which simply means that he or she chooses a specific way of
expression using words or other channels.

MESSAGE
-The message must contain all necessary information (complete).
-The message must not contain any unnecessary information (concise).
-It must be free from obscurity and ambiguity (clear).
-The message must be organized and logical (cohesive), and the message must be respectful and considerate of
others (courteous).

CHANNEL
-A CHANNEL IS A PATH THAT A MESSAGE TAKES FROM THE SENDER TO THE RECEIVER.
-IT MAY BE DOWNWARD (FROM SUPERIORS TO EMPLOYEES), UPWARD (FROM EMPLOYEES TO SUPERIORS), OR
HORIZONTAL (USED BETWEEN PEOPLE ON SIMILAR LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY).

RECEIVER
THE RECEIVER DECODES THE
-MESSAGE ACCORDING TO HIS OR HER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS BEING COMMUNICATED.
-HOWEVER, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE RECEIVER UNDERSTANDS THE MESSAGE INCORRECTLY.
-THIS IS OFTEN BECAUSE OF NOISE, WHICH IS ANYTHING THAT INTERFERES WITH THE MESSAGE BEING SENT.

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF NOISE: EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL.

External noise is literal noise, such as a radio or a jackhammer on the street outside.
Internal noise includes the receiver’s own thoughts, prejudices, and opinions
FEEDBACK
-Feedback can be verbal expressions or body language, expressing the fact that the receiver understood the
message he or she received.
-When you communicate information to a patient or ask customers a question, always look for feedback.

FOR EXAMPLE,
When a technician dispenses a prescription and the patient needs consultation, the technician can ask the
patient if he or she can wait until the pharmacist finishes a phone call so that he can answer the patient’s
questions. The technician should look for a response. If the patient responds positively, the pharmacy technician
then knows that the patient will wait for the pharmacist to be able to talk with him or her directly.

THE BASIC GUIDELINES FOR GIVING FEEDBACK ARE AS FOLLOWS:

-Be clear.
-Have a positive emphasis feedback is intended to help, not hurt.
-Be specific - avoid generalized comments. Notice when the person uses terms such as “always” or
“never” and ask him or her to be more specific.
-Focus - highlight the person’s behavior.
-Refer - to behavior that might be changed.

THE BASIC GUIDELINES FOR GIVING FEEDBACK ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Be - Be descriptive — avoid evaluations.

Own - Own your feedback —use “I” statements.

Be Be very careful with your advice —the person usually needs to understand how his or her actions
can be improved in the future.

FEEDBACK
-Feedback is sometimes called criticism, but this term
negatively aff ects the perceptions of what
feedback really is.

-Feedback is a way to let people know whether they

are effectively communicating their message to you.

-It helps everyone to become more effective

communicators.

-Feedback is not designed to harm the person who is

receiving it, only to help him or her to become a
better communicator and also to become more
effective in actions on a daily basis.

TYPES OF NEGATIVE OR “CLOSED” STYLES OF RECEIVING FEEDBACK SHOULD BE AVOIDED:

-Defensive—defends personal actions and objects to the feedback that is being given • Attacking—verbally
attacks the person giving feedback.
-Denial—refutes the accuracy or fairness of the feedback.
-Disrespectful—devalues the speaker and the feedback provided.
-Closed—ignores the feedback and is not interested in it.
-Inactive listening—makes no attempt to understand the feedback.
-Rationalizing—finds explanations that remove personal responsibility.
-Patronizing—listens, but shows little interest.
-Superficial—listens and agrees without intending to use the feedback to make any changes.

POSITIVE OR “OPEN” STYLE OF RECEIVING FEEDBACK

-Open —listens without interruptions or objections.
-Responsive —listens without “turning the tables”.
-Accepting —accepts the feedback without denying it.
-Respectful —recognizes the feedback’s value as well as the value of the giver of the feedback.
-Engaged—interacts well with the speaker and asks for clarifications.
-Active listening—listens carefully and tries to understand.
-Thoughtful—tries to understand the personal behaviors that influenced the feedback being given.
-Interested—shows genuine interest in getting feedback.
-Sincere—really wants to make personal changes if they are appropriate.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
-Verbal communication consists of much more than just words.
-Tone, inflection, and level of pitch determine the meaning of the message we are sending even more than the
words we choose.
-Phrasing, which refers to the style of speaking and the words we use to express ourselves, communicates
to the receiver its own message.
-Quality communication requires much more than the giving of information.
-It includes the full scope of skills of listening, comprehending, imparting that information to others, obtaining
feedback to validate that the information was received accurately and fully, and documenting the fact that each
step in the process of communication was
followed.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
-Excellent written communication skills
are also important in the pharmacy
setting.

-Inaccurate or confusing writing in the

pharmacy setting not only irritates
others but also may lead to harmful
patient care.

-Written communication can reinforce

or back up oral instructions or
explanations of possible side effects
of medications and can clarify
misunderstandings to others.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
-By far, most of our communicative transmissions are nonverbal.
-We express ourselves both consciously and unconsciously through what is known as body language.
-Body language involves eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures, grooming, dress, space, tone of voice,
posture, touch, and much more.