6 Interprofessional Communication
LEARNING GUIDE: INTERPROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
OVERVIEW:
In this lesson there is a special emphasis on interprofessional communications well as communication tools commonly used by interprofessional healthcare teams. These tools may be familiar to students and include SBAR, iRoundS, Huddles, and Handoffs. These tools as well as the competency in communication are the first line of defense against medical errors that commonly occur during transitions to care and/or when poor communication occurs. For some students who have healthcare work experience, this may be a review. However, for some students this may be their first exposure concerning this communication content.
OBJECTIVES
For this lesson you will:
- Choose effective communication tools or techniques to facilitate discussions and interactions to enhance team function.
- Express one’s knowledge and opinions to team members and other healthcare-related colleagues with clarity and respect, working to ensure common understanding of information.
- Organize and communicate information with clients, families and health care team members in a form that is understandable, avoiding discipline-specific terminology (jargon) when possible.
COMPETENCIES
| IPEC Sub-Competencies – Interprofessional Communication | |
| CC1 | Choose effective communication tools and techniques, including information systems and communication technologies, to facilitate discussions and interactions that enhance team function. |
| CC2 | Communicate information with patients, families, community members, and health team members in a form that is understandable, avoiding discipline-specific terminology when possible. |
| CC3 | Express one’s own knowledge and opinions to team members involved in patient care and population health improvement with confidence, clarity, and respect, working to ensure common understanding of information, treatment, care decisions, and population health programs and policies. |
| CC4 | Listen actively and encourage ideas and opinions of the other team members. |
DEFINITIONS
SBAR – Situation, Background, Assessment, & Recommendation. SBAR is used to convey patient information in clear and concise manner. Additionally, it offers a recognized and structured way to ask questions of other healthcare professionals (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2018).
Huddle – a brief team meeting before the start of scheduled work that identifies goals for the work period: such as patient care goals or quality improvement measures etc. During the scheduled work period, additional huddles may occur if important team updates are needed (Institute for Healthcare Improvement, 2018).
iRounds – the practice of frequent “rounds” on patient status and treatment plan with the inteprofessional healthcare care team, patient, and patient’s family; the frequency of rounds is determined by patient needs.
CUS – “I am CONCERNED!” “I am UNCOMFORTABLE!” “This is a SAFETY issue!” (Pocket Guide: Team