Chapter: 3.1 Consequences of Poor Communication Skill

Consequences of Poor Communication Skill

•    Poor communication skill results in misunderstanding and loss of confidence.
•    Poor communication fails to develop proper rapport between the Health Professional & the patient which is so essential in confidence building and development of mutual trust.
•    Incidences of quarreling, manhandling, physical assault on the doctor/ hospital staff are on the increase. They are the direct result of bad communication skills. Health Professionals must learn to diffuse such a situation.
•    Adverse publicity and loss of good image of the hospital. The hospital is a social organization and its survival depends on the goodwill and active patronage of the community. For Health Professional, their professional reputation and standing in the society are much more valuable than any other things.
•    Change in Hospital / consultants. A patient is likely to change his physician if he finds him deficient in communication skill and his ability to convince him about the plan of treatment.

It is a common experience that majority of the patients' trust the doctors and hold them in high esteem. They are ready to condone genuine mistakes during the course of treatment as long as they have cordial relations with their physicians/surgeons/nurses. The moment this delicate relationship is broken by rash and negligent acts of the Health Professional, coupled with poor communication skills, the patients/ relatives resort to legal remedy.