Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Communication'.
Found 1,206 results
-
Content ArticleThis article by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and The My Body Back Project provides tips for healthcare professionals to make cervical cancer screening attendees feel as comfortable as possible during their appointments. Cervical screening can be very daunting for some women, and for those who have experienced sexual violence it can be triggering and cause emotional distress. The article provides the following tips, with more detailed guidance: Communication – language and listening - build trust by listening and acknowledging rather than downplaying any concerns. A sense of calm – how can you can make the environment feel calm and safe? Share control – Consider how you can demonstrate shared control within the consultation and examination. Position – a good position can make all the difference to their comfort and your ability to visualise the cervix. It’s about time…. Offer a double appointment so there is time to check in, build trust and for the woman or person with a cervix to feel ready to be examined.
-
Content ArticleThis masterclass, facilitated by Peter Walsh, Chief Executive Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), and Carolyn Cleveland, Founder and Owner C & C Empathy Training Ltd, will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge of what needs to be done to comply with the duty of candour; clarify ‘grey areas’ and provide guidance on dealing with difficult situations which may arise. It will provide participants with an understanding of good practice in implementing the duty and, in particular doing so in a meaningful way with empathy, to not only comply, but to work with patients and loved ones in a way that puts the emotional experience at the heart of communication. Staff with responsibility for implementing the duty of candour and responsible for quality, safety, clinical governance, safety investigations, complaints or CQC compliance, patient experience and executive teams would benefit from attending this one day masterclass. For more information see the flyer attached. The next events are on the 18 July, 17 October and 12 December.
-
Content ArticleIn this article for Nature, Aris Katzourakis, Professor of Evolution and Genomics at the University of Oxford, highlights misconceptions around the word 'endemic' that have arisen during the Covid-19 pandemic. He defines an endemic infection as "one in which overall rates are static — not rising, not falling," and highlights that we have come to associate this with less harmful illnesses such as the common cold, when in fact it can also be applied to deadly diseases including malaria, polio and tuberculosis. He argues that the word has been misused by policymakers to indicate that the virus poses less threat and therefore no action needs to be taken. In order to tackle the ongoing threat of Covid-19, the author suggests the following four actions: Set aside lazy optimism Be realistic about the likely levels of death, disability and sickness. Targets set for reduction should consider that circulating virus risks giving rise to new variants Use the weapons we have available, globally: effective vaccines, antiviral medications, diagnostic tests and a better understanding of how to stop an airborne virus through mask wearing, distancing, and air ventilation and filtration Iinvest in vaccines that protect against a broader range of variants
-
Content Article
NHS England - Language Matters: language and diabetes (2018)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Diabetes
The language used by healthcare professionals can have a profound impact on how people living with diabetes, and those who care for them, experience their condition and feel about living with it day-to-day. This guidance by NHS England sets out practical examples of language that will encourage positive interactions with people living with diabetes and subsequently positive outcomes. These examples are based on research and supported by a simple set of principles. -
Content ArticleHow are trauma-informed approaches being implemented by public services – and what are the barriers to embedding the approach more widely? Produced jointly by the Centre for Mental Health and the Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, this reports explores how trauma-informed approaches are being implemented by public services including women’s centres, prisons and mental health services. Evidence has shown that there are strong links between traumatic experiences and poor mental health. The need for public services to be trauma-informed has been repeatedly demonstrated. A sense of safety summarises the findings of interviews and site visits to a range of public services for women, including substance misuse, homelessness, mental health, the criminal justice system, and domestic and sexual abuse and exploitation. It found that services taking a holistic approach to supporting women’s needs were best able to make the change to becoming trauma-informed. However, many organisations faced barriers including short-term and fragile funding.
-
Content ArticleThe Collaboration for Change is a group of two UK universities, nine community organisations and two small and medium size enterprises, who have conducted research on how to improve vaccine uptake among ethnic minority groups. This report outlines the results of a co-produced research study by the Collaboration for Change that combines research, evidence and lived experience to understand and improve vaccine uptake in ethnic minority communities. The report highlights the following factors influencing vaccine uptake: Using trusted messengers to encourage vaccine uptake may be a useful strategy to increase uptake in communities with low vaccination rates A lack of trust in the organisations and individuals encouraging vaccine uptake impacts vaccine uptake across many ethnic minority communities People are less likely to accept the offer of vaccination if little culturally and linguistically appropriate information is available to them, especially when their concerns are not covered Alongside the report, the Collaboration for Change has produced some recommended strategies to improve vaccine confidence and uptake.
-
Content ArticleThe purpose of this investigation by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) was to help improve patient safety in relation to the instructions 999 call handlers give to women and pregnant people who are waiting for an ambulance because of an emergency during their pregnancy. The HSIB investigation reviewed the case of Amy, who was 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant with her first child. She contacted 999 after experiencing abdominal cramps and bleeding. While waiting for an ambulance to arrive, Amy received pre-arrival instructions which were generated through a clinical decision support system (CDSS) from a non-clinical call handler. Amy was then taken by ambulance to hospital where her baby, Benjamin, was delivered by emergency caesarean section. Amy had excessive blood loss due to a placental abruption and was admitted to the high dependency unit for 12 hours following the birth. Benjamin required resuscitation to help him breathe on his own, he was intubated, and he received 72 hours of therapeutic cooling. He spent 13 days in hospital.
-
Content ArticleIt is important that patients and their medical team work in partnership when making decisions about using antibiotics, whether that’s when a GP prescribes an antibiotic or if you’re in hospital and need antibiotics. The Patients Association has developed these resources to help patients make informed decisions about taking antibiotics. They were developed in partnership with patients, carers, healthcare professionals and Pfizer Ltd., who funded and supported the project. The information will help patients partner with their medical team when deciding about using antibiotics. These resources focus on when a patient is in the hospital, but they may also be used as a helpful reminder whenever you are considering taking antibiotics. The resources include a patient leaflet and animated video.
-
Content ArticleThe Royal College of Anaesthetists set up PatientsVoices@RCoA to help the College improve the delivery of safe, more effective, patient-centred care to enhance patients’ experience of anaesthesia and perioperative care. This plan by PatientsVoices@RCoA aims to set out a clear direction for our future work which ensures patients’ voices are clearly heard across all relevant activities, as the College delivers its strategic aims over the next five years.
-
Content ArticleThis video by Solent NHS Trust looks at the role of Community Partners in helping the Trust engage in conversations with the community in a meaningful, sustained way. It includes interviews with: Anastasia Lungu-Mulenga, Head of Community Engagement at Solent NHS Trust Annie Clelow, Manager of Communicare Southampton Anne Cato, Community Partner Joe Jennes, Senior coordinator, Carers in Southampton Ellie and Ray from the CAMHS youth participation group Sapna Vohra, Community engagement facilitator Sarah Balchin, Associate director, community engagement
-
Content ArticleThis is the recording of a webinar hosted by The Patients Association, about working with partners in industry to allow patient voices to influence care and treatment. The webinar was part of Patient Partnership Week 2022 and featured: Sarah Louis, patient participant and Sarah Whitehead, External Relations and Public Affairs Manager, Novo Nordisk talking about a biosimilars project Carolyn Wheatley, patient participant and Robert Browne MSc, Senior Scientific Affairs Manager, Nutricia, talking about the nutrition checklist Fran Husson, patient participant and Dr Aman Gupta, Medical Affairs Manager Pfizer, on work in antimicrobial resistance.
-
Content ArticleThe Communication, Apology and Resolution model (CARe) offers healthcare organisations a detailed process for responding to unanticipated adverse outcomes, which includes proactively communicating with patients and families, examining and explaining what happened, avoiding recurrences by improving systems of care and, where appropriate, apologising and offering financial compensation. The model recognises that clinicians and staff will need peer support and training to effectively communicate with patients and families. In June 2022, advocates of the CARe model held an annual forum to highlight the successes of CARe programs in Massachusetts and to look at challenges health care providers face in doing this work consistently across their organisations. This article by the Betsy Lehman Center highlights video recordings shared at the forum including: A family member testimonial by Jane Bugbee, whose healthy daughter, Lindsay, died of Strep A and sepsis shortly after giving birth to her third child in July 2018 A simulation of a resolution conversation with a family A simulation of a conversation with provider after an adverse event.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog for The Patients Association, Patient Safety Commissioner Henrietta Hughes looks at the importance of patient involvement in improving patient safety. She argues that patient voices should be embedded in the design and delivery of healthcare, and highlights that services and organisations need to seek feedback from patients from a wide variety of backgrounds. She also outlines why shared decision making and consent are vital to ensure patients are safe and have more control over their care and treatment.
-
Content ArticleHealth literacy describes "the personal characteristics and social resources needed for individuals and communities to access, understand, appraise and use information and services to make decisions about health." The National Health Literacy Community of Practice provides resources for healthcare staff about health literacy. On this online platform, the community shares research and best practice, offers support for training and discusses ideas about health literacy. Resources include a Health Literacy GeoData tool which provides an estimate of the percentage of a local authority population with low health literacy and numeracy.
-
Content ArticleSally Percival is Co-Chair of the National Co-production Advisory Group at the organisation Think Local Act Personal (TLAP). In this blog, she reflects on what has changed in co-production over the past 12 years, including the increased desire from policy makers to listen to patients' lived experience. She also talks about the importance of creating the right environment for co-production to take place and TLAP's 'Making it Real' approach.
-
Content ArticleWhat Matters to You? (WMTY) is an international person-centred care movement. It is based on the principle that healthcare workers should 'Ask, listen, do', in order to shift the power to the person who knows best about the help or support needed - whether that be the person with a medical issue or the clinicians providing care. WMTY conversations help healthcare teams understand what is “most important” to patients, leading to better care partnerships and improved patient experience. This website contains information about organisations involved in the movement as well as resources to help healthcare professionals and services implement WMTY.
-
Content ArticleSpeaking to patients about what matters to them helps healthcare teams understand individuals' priorities, leading to better care partnerships and improved patient experience. This toolkit developed by the Montefiore Medical Center in New York provides an outline of how to implement "what matters to you?" (WMTY) conversations in healthcare settings.
-
Content Article
Animation - What matters to you? (10 May 2021)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Patient engagement
This short animation looks at the importance of healthcare professionals routinely asking patients, "What matters to you?" Understanding an individual patient's needs, wants and hopes results in empowered patients, improved outcomes and improved relationships between patients and healthcare professionals. -
Content ArticleIn this blog, Aimee Robson, Deputy Director of Personalised Care at NHS England, talks about how healthcare workers can introduce one simple question into their communication with patients: “What matters to you?” She highlights that facilitating dialogue with patients about their own priorities is the first step in achieving personalised care, a key commitment outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan.
-
Content ArticlePublic satisfaction with the NHS is currently at a 25-year low, and lack of effective communication and engagement with patients has contributed to this dissatisfaction. In this blog, Lucy Watson, Chair, and Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association, reflect on the findings of the Ockenden Report and the implications for patient trust in the NHS. They highlight the immense damage to trust caused by the combination of the hospital's substandard clinical care, lack of compassion, tendency to blame mothers and unwillingness to respond to concerns. The authors argue that listening to and better engaging with patients is essential to create the culture change the NHS needs to rebuild public trust and improve safety. They call for honest and transparency about how the NHS is coping, and for more action to tackle low staff morale.
-
Content ArticleThe ladder of co-production describes a series of steps towards full co-production in health and social care. Developed by the National Co-production Advisory Group set up by the organisation Think Local Act Personal, it supports greater understanding of the various steps that need to happen in co-production, such as access, inclusion and consultation. This webpage contains a variety of downloadable resources and a video explaining the ladder of co-production.
-
Content Article
Care and support jargon buster
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Patient engagement
This directory from the organisation Think Local Act Personal provides Plain English definitions of jargon commonly used in health and care. -
Content ArticleThe Perfect Patient Information Journey is Patient Information Forum's long-running project investigating how high-quality information can be provided throughout a person’s journey with a long-term condition.
-
Content ArticleIn this blog, Sarah Tilsed, Head of Patient Partnership at the Patient's Association, reports on an HSJ webinar which discussed how engaging patients could help deal with the NHS care backlog. She talks about the need to involve patients in ways that make them feel supported and in control, and highlights the importance of better communication with patients to improve care.
-
Content Article
Virtual Patient programme online training (2021)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Patient engagement
This Virtual Patient programme for healthcare professionals allows users to specify an environment, patient and therapeutic area to create a ‘case’ to practise and hone clinical and communications skills.
