COMMUNICATION SKILLS: A TEACHER’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Welcome, future pharmacists and healthcare professionals!
The term “communication” is derived from the Latin word ‘communicare’ which refers to sharing, contributing, informing, popularising and spreading. Communication can be expressed as a process in which individuals (two or more) share their views, suggestions, evidences, thoughts and feelings. The individuals involved in this process are known as sender and receiver. Communication is a process which includes the sharing of information and mutual understanding among the persons at same or different levels.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
In my years of teaching community pharmacy, I have observed that communication skills are often overlooked by pharmacy students. Remember: Effective communication is essential for patient counselling, building trust, and ensuring medication adherence. This is a key topic that frequently appears in exams!
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS
1. Verbal Communication Skills
It is a method that uses speech in the form of speaking to convey a message or information. It is the most popular and effective mode of communication, usually practised during video conferences, phone calls, presentations, one-on-one conversations, and meetings. It supports both nonverbal and written communication.
2. Non-verbal Communication Skills
It is basically a practice of gestures, facial expressions, and body language to send information. It can be implemented intentionally and unintentionally when communicating. For example, a person can smile unintentionally when they hear an interesting piece of information or a pleasant idea. Facial expressions, body movement and posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, space, voice and paying attention to inconsistencies are some major techniques of non-verbal communication.
3. Written Communication Skills
It is all about typing, printing symbols, numbers, letters, and writing to send a piece of information. Sometimes used to record information for evidence or reference purpose. In general, the written style of communication is used in books, blogs, pamphlets, memos, and letters to share and spread information. In the workplace, e-mail is a common example of written communication.
4. Visual Communication Skills
It is a communication done through photography, art, drawings, sketches, charts and graphs.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
A common exam question is: “What are the four types of communication skills?” Remember: Verbal, Non-verbal, Written, and Visual. This is frequently tested!
INTERACTIONS WITH PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENTS
Informing patients about the way of leading healthier lives and explaining them about the diagnoses, treatments and medications are the responsibilities of medical professionals. When it comes to patient’s feeling supported, trusting the decisions of medical professionals and engaging with their advice, effective communication plays a critical role. Effective communication for pharmacist means approaching each patient with an intention to understand their concerns, opinions and experiences.
Ways to Communicate Effectively with Patients
- Listen First and Do Not Interrupt: As a pharmacist, the first step to effectively communicate with the patients is to listen them carefully. Allow patients to find the right words to explain their symptoms or recollect their medical history.
- Do Not Talk Too Fast: To effectively communicate with the patients, it is important for pharmacist or medical professionals to take sufficient time to explain important things to the patients.
- Be Cautious of the Body Language: The pharmacist-patient relationship can get damaged by not being cautious towards their body language, for example, not making eye contact.
- Make Sure the Patient is Engaged: Engaging patient is one of the most effective techniques to ensure that patient not only understands the information shared by the pharmacist but also remembers it for a longer period.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Verbal communication is the communication in which some type of language is used. The most powerful tool of communication is language because the messages and ideas can be conveyed very easily with the help of it, provided that all the parties are familiar with the language which is being used.
One-to-One / Face to Face Communication
Oral communication can be done in the form of one-to-one communication or with the use of technological devices like cell phones. One-to-One communication is an oral and fundamental form of communication. Here, the sender and the receiver discuss and argue on the important points on-the-spot by directly communicating with each other.
Elements of One-to-One Communication (Mehrabian Rule):
- Words: 7% of the message
- Tone of Voice: 38% of the message
- Body Language: 55% of the message
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
According to Mehrabian’s Rule: 7% words, 38% tone of voice, and 55% body language. This is a classic exam question! Remember that non-verbal communication (body language + tone) accounts for 93% of communication.
Over the Telephone Communication
Communication taking place over a telephone device is known as telephonic communication. It is a kind of a synchronous communication where both the parties involved in communication can talk whenever they want. Generally, an informal exchange of views and ideas takes place through telephone communication.
Advantages of Verbal Communication Skills
- It is not a time consuming process.
- It is cheap and effective.
- Control and persuasion can be done with ease through speech.
- Different shades of meaning can be conveyed by varying the pitch, tone, and intensity of voice.
- It provides prompt feedback.
Disadvantages of Verbal Communication Skills
- For individuals who are at a distance, verbal communication is not possible without the use of any mechanical equipment.
- Oral transmission is not suitable for long messages.
- The lifespan of verbal messages is very short.
- Unless verbal messages are recorded or taped, they do not have any legality.
- There is a great chance of misunderstanding in verbal communication.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS
According to University of North Carolina, “Written communication is defined as clear expression of ideas in writing; includes grammar, organisation, and structure”. The communication that takes place with the help of written symbols, either hand written or printed, is known as written communication.
Characteristics of Written Communication Skills
- Most Formal Form of Communication
- Exercised for Documentation
- Used to Circulate Information
- Conventional in Nature
- Sender and Receiver Need not to be Present at the Same Time
- Creative Activity
- Involves Time Factor
- Fewer Cycles
BODY LANGUAGE
Body Language refers to non-verbal signs that are used in conveying a message. It presents the mental and physical capability of an individual during a non-verbal communication. Different types of gestures, eye movements, body postures, etc., are an integral part of Kinesics (interpretation of body communication).
Functions of Body Language
- Gestures: These need not only emanate from the face or the eyes, other parts of the human body also represent gestures.
- Facial Expressions: There is a saying that “the face is the index of the heart”. In other words the face reflects what our innermost feelings are.
- Eye Contact: This has a great deal of importance in the art of communication. The movement of eyes, eye balls, dilation or contraction of eye pupils convey the deepest feelings of one’s mind.
- Posture: This refers to the way a person stands walks and sits down. The posture reveals a lot about an individual.
- Dress Code: The dress that the person wears also has a role to play in communication.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
Body language is a crucial aspect of non-verbal communication. Remember: Facial expressions, eye contact, posture, gestures, and dress code all convey messages without words. This is frequently tested in communication skills exams!
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1. Physiological Barriers
These barriers are associated with the restrictions of the human mind and body, i.e., perception, memory and attention. A person’s individual discomposure or uneasiness, like bad health, hearing problems or poor eye sight may create physiological barriers.
2. Psychological or Emotional Barriers
These barriers occur due to reasons like motives, attitudes, judgements, sentiments, emotions, and social values of participants. These problems sometimes disturb the flow of communication either completely or partially.
3. Physical Barriers
These barriers arise commonly due to the geographical distance between the sender and receiver. Communication which takes place within the short distance is easier in comparison to long-distance because it requires less technology and has more communication channels.
4. Gender Barriers
These barriers occur due to the difference between the way of communication of both men and women. These barriers highlight the fundamental differences in communication styles of males and females.
5. Cultural Barriers
These barriers arise when people from different cultural backgrounds work for the same healthcare organisation. The same symbols or actions can stand for separate things to people belonging to different cultures.
6. Semantic or Language Barriers
These barriers are those problems that crop up during encoding or decoding of messages. This is the most prevalent communication barriers causing misconceptions and misapprehensions among people. Communication may become incomprehensible if the speaker and receiver do not use the same language and words.
Dpharmguru’s exam insights:
Communication skills are essential for every pharmacist. Remember the six types of barriers: Physiological, Psychological, Physical, Gender, Cultural, and Semantic. Also, remember Mehrabian’s Rule (7-38-55). These concepts frequently appear in pharmacy exams!
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
- Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). (2022). Communication Skills for Pharmacists. New Delhi: PCI.
- International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). (2022). Patient Communication Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.fip.org.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2022). Effective Communication in Healthcare. Retrieved from https://www.who.int.
- Smith, M. C., & Wertheimer, A. I. (2021). Social and Behavioral Aspects of Pharmacy Practice. Pharmaceutical Press.
- Mehrabian, A. (2022). Silent Messages: A Wealth of Information About Non-verbal Communication. Wadsworth Publishing.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for medical concerns.
written by:
Dr. N. Sujith Kumar
