The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National Guideline Clearinghouse has published five ways physicians can improve communication with patients.
These guidelines were originally intended to evaluate best communication strategies for children aged 6-18 years old and their caregivers who are referred to occupational therapy/speech and language pathology within inpatient psychiatry. The authors of these guidelines specifically sought to determine if communication through written information versus verbal information improves health literacy and understanding of discharge recommendations.
The authors recommended that healthcare professionals communicate healthcare information to patients and caregivers using multiple means:
1. Standardization of verbal and written discharge.
2. Appropriate use of literacy levels for the intended audience.
3. Limited use of medical terminology.
4. Using a concise style of communication, such as use of active versus passive voice, clearly emphasizing main points and avoiding long sentences.
5. Appropriate and selective use of visual aids, including but not limited to pictographs.
These guidelines were originally intended to evaluate best communication strategies for children aged 6-18 years old and their caregivers who are referred to occupational therapy/speech and language pathology within inpatient psychiatry. The authors of these guidelines specifically sought to determine if communication through written information versus verbal information improves health literacy and understanding of discharge recommendations.
The authors recommended that healthcare professionals communicate healthcare information to patients and caregivers using multiple means:
1. Standardization of verbal and written discharge.
2. Appropriate use of literacy levels for the intended audience.
3. Limited use of medical terminology.
4. Using a concise style of communication, such as use of active versus passive voice, clearly emphasizing main points and avoiding long sentences.
5. Appropriate and selective use of visual aids, including but not limited to pictographs.
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