Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients and their families is essential to safe, quality care. Studies have clearly shown that poor or missing communication between providers and patients can lead to patient harm or even death. This white paper from Joint Commission International provides a high-level overview of common healthcare communication challenges and short-comings, including the following:

• Inadequate handover or transitions of care
• Poor discharge planning and inadequate or unclear patient instructions
• Language problems such as limited English proficiency, literacy, and health literacy of patients
• Cultural barriers and misunderstandings
• Age-related challenges
• Errors in test results and medical orders

The white paper then identifies solutions to improve these common healthcare communication problems, offering tools, tips and strategies. The white paper concludes with how Joint Commission International standards address these challenges with evidence-based best practices that lead to improved healthcare communication and thereby better patient outcomes.

Download the Full Whitepaper here

The Occupational English Test (OET) is the English language test for the healthcare sector and a sponsor of Australian Healthcare Week 2019. For more information visit https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org