Chapter: 1.4 Barriers to Communication

Barriers to Communication

The process of communication is very sensitive to distortion and misinterpretation. A person may say something, but the receiver may understand something different. Inter Personal friction and a number of problems experienced in the hospital are due to break down of communication which is so commonly referred to as "communication gap." The situation is created as the message has not been received by the receiver in its original form. It is also possible that the receiver may interpret the message differently based on his educational/socio-economic status and cultural back ground.

Some of the common elements of the Communication barriers are:

1. Lack of Attention: Attentiveness is the basic requirement of two way transfer of information. It is a common experience that many people do not pay much attention to the speaker if the subject/ topic of discussion is less significant or is of no interest to them. The acceptance of the communication and desired response from the receiver indicate that the receiver was attentive and has understood the message.

2. Problem of Understanding: This is a common problem and results from the possibility of different interpretation of words. Since patients come from diverse socio-economic background, the problem of semantics is encountered by the physicians and nursing staff working in the hospital quite frequently. The physician and nursing staff must constantly check whether the message/ words have been correctly understood by the patients.

3. Problem of Perception: Perception plays an important role in Communication. This determines how events are seen and interpreted and what meanings are attached to symbols. Now a day a large number of symbols are used in the signposting. They are designed to overcome the barriers of the language or written words. Great care should be taken to select appropriate symbols which could be easily understood by even a lay person.

4. Physical Environment: Noise, disturbance in telephone lines create barrier in the transmission of message. The consulting rooms should be free from noise to ensure proper Communication between the physician and the patients. Defects in telephone lines can prevent transmission of a message or can cause major distortion.

5. Physical Attributes of the person: Disease or disabilities of special organs especially speech and hearing will cause major communication barriers both at the sender as well as recipient level. A person who has a defective speech can not communicate effectively. Similarly a receiver with impaired hearing can not understand the spoken words properly.

6. Defective Wording: A written communication is liable for distortion if proper words/ phrases are not used or there is an ambiguity in the content of the message. There are many words which have more than one meaning. Drafting of letters is an art. Great care is required in selection of words. This can be accomplished if the originator knows what message is required to be communicated. Use of simple words and phrases which are familiar and commonly used are always effective in overcoming the barriers of semantics and other factors. The Health Professionals should avoid use of technical terms / unnecessary details while talking to patients/ relatives.

7. Channels of Communication: If there are too many intermediate channels/ persons involved in the transmission of a message, the chances of distortion increase as the people tend to omit, alter or add something while transmitting the message. Naturally such message will be received in a distorted form and may not elicit the desire response.