Clarity and the Art of Communication for Patient Safety (by Dr Dan Cohen for Datix, 2009)

Summary

In this reflection, Dr Dan Cohen looks at clarity and the art of communication for patient safety.

"Clear and concise communication between professionals, and between professionals and patients is critical to the practice of medicine. Lack of communication, either because of insufficiencies in communication skills or because of numerous confounders that contribute to the give and take necessary for transparent and accurate sharing of information, can result in misunderstanding, harm and even litigation."

Read the publication, produced by Datix, in full via the link below.

Further reading on the hub from Dan:

• Late night reflections on patient safety: commentaries from the frontline (2014)
• Patient safe care as a moral imperative: The mandate of medical ethics
• Diagnostic errors and delays: why quality investigations are key
• Patient Safety Spotlight Interview with Dr Dan Cohen, Patient Safety Learning Trustee
• Structures, processes and outcomes for better or worse: Personal responsibility in patient safe care
• What does all this safety stuff have to do with me? How one professional’s arrogance led to new insights
• Interview with Dr Dan Cohen on human performance