Download The ability to communicate

The ability to communicate – an
important factor in successful
dental practice
Honorata Shaw
Department of Biomaterials and
Experimental Dentistry
Lecture content
• The role of communication in society
• Methods of communication
• Verbal and nonverbal communication
• Correct versus incorrect communication
Why should we learn
communication
at all?
The Bologna Declaration
• Signed 19th June 1999 by Ministers of
Education of 29 European Countries
• Idea: convergence of higher education in
Europe
• Aim: by 2010 – the creation of European
Space of High Education ( with
preservation of the national characteristics
of each system in the different countries)
ADEE: the competence of a new
European dentist
• In chapter profile: „ A newly graduated
•
•
•
European dentist should:
Possess broad academic knowledge and be
prepared to work in all fields of clinical dentistry
Be properly trained in the theoretical bases of
dentistry
Be prepared to cooperate with other members
of the health service i.e; should possess a
well developed ability to communicate
Competence (cont.)
• Be prepared for constant learning and
professional development throughout the
remainder of her/his life
• Be able to conduct comprehensive
treatment based on evidence-based
knowledge
Communication - definition
• „The sahring, imparting or exchanging of
information oraly, in writing or by other
means”
•
Oxford English Dictionary
Communication with oneself
• This is the fundamental requirement for
proper communication with others
• It requires awareness of one`s emotional ,
physical, psychological, spiritual and
intellectual states
Basis of correct communication
with oneself
• Self-acceptance; respect for ourselves,
acceptance of our own body, life style
and relations with other people
• Self awareness – the ability to describe
one`s own desires and value systems
• Responsibility – ability to choose a
happiness or not and to take resposibility
for our choices and their results
Basis of correct communication
with oneself (cont)
• The ability to establish goals (realistic and
safe)
• Assertiveness – behaviour enabling us to
present our needs, desires and feelings to
others in a clear and open manner,
without disrupting their rights
Assertiveness
• A clear declaration of our own needs gives
us the rights to :
• Make decisions and take the
consequences
• Decide if we want to be involved in other
peoples` lives
• Make mistakes
• Be successful
• Change our opinion
Assertinveness also gives us the
right to:
• Privacy
• Loneliness and independence
• Use our own rights
• However: An assertive person is not a
bully, she/he simply speaks bluntly
Communication is possible by:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Talking
Listening
Watching
Touching
Aim: to get in contact or to avoid it
Gives the information of what kind of value we
present to others
Empathy is helpful in communicating
Empathy
• Definition:
• The ability to put yourself in another
person`s place
• Emotional identification with another
person and feel the emotions which
she/he experiences
Comunication is divided into:
• Verbal
and
Nonoverbal
The value and precision of communication
depends on the convergence of these two
parts
Verbal communication
• Way of speaking depends on:
• Emotional status,culture, education,
upbringing, present state of health, mood,
situation, interlocutor, profession
• Individual tone (timbre) of voice
• A low tone of voice is received better
!!!
What faculty helps us to remember
best ?
• What we hear
• What we see
• What we do
5%
25%
90%
• We tend to remember those things which
take a long time to learn
Nonverbal comunication
• Facial expression
• Gestures, body movements
• Eye contact
• Touching ( the strongest form of contact)
• Style of speach
• Way of using space
• Requisite accesories (dress, hairstyle,
make-up etc)
Body language
• Way of walking, standing and sitting
• Facial expression and ways of changing it
• Gestures
• Coordinated body movements
• N.B. Body language has cultural
•
differences
Facial expresion
• Is characteristic of the person – „The
character is written on the face”
• Function: communication of the
emotional state
• Eyebrows and mouth - most expressive
• Expression can be controlled (proverbial
poker player)
Contact by touching
• Most primitive social behaviour giving a
strong signal
• Hand shake (short, long, strong, weak)
• Patting on the back
• Kissing
• Touching contact is regulated by the
strict rules prevailing in each
particular culture
Strength of specific parts of the
communication process
• What we say –
7%
• How we speak – 38%
• Body language – 55%
• So 93% of the strength of the message
is imparted by nonverbal comunication
Space and proximity
• Physical closeness is an indicator of
intimacy
• It is culture dependent
• Individual distance: 1.20-1.50m
(conversation)
• Social distance: 3 m (maintaining
neutrality)
Correct verbal message
• Clarity and correctness of message ,the
use of language understandable by the
interlocutor
• Comaptibility: connection between subject
of conversation and previous items
• Economy of speech
• Expressiveness: adjustment of emotional
state the subject of the talk
Reasons for obstacles in
communication process
• Disturbing (interrupting) others` speech
• Foreseeing their arguments („ I know
what you are going to say”)
• Introducing hidden motives
• Sharp aggresive comments
• Signals of disrespect (sardonic smile,
gestures)
• Showing irritation (tapping with fingers,
looking away or at the watch)
Attributes of correct
communication
• Concentrating on what is being said
• Listening without breaks
• Asking for an explanation if something is
not clear
• Repeating, paraphrasing or making
positive comments confirming that we
understand
Attitudes helpful to understanding
• Instead of the phrase „Yes, but” it is better to
say „Yes and”. For example „You are quite right
and what I would like to say is…”
• Following the rule of keeping one`s own
psychological space (instead of accusing the
interlocutor, we should explain our own feelings
in a given situation
Difficult talks
• Solving problem; by treating the patient as a
•
•
•
partner.
giving bad news hits the doctor first. Prepare for
the conversation, with stress on hope.
Don`t expect a calm reception of bad news
Steps receiving bad news: denial, anger,
bargaining, depression, acceptance
• Informed patient is a better patient
Role of information in the
treatment process
• Honest infomation on the state of health and
•
•
•
methods of treatment influences of healing
process
Example: comparison of healing speed of 2
groups of children undergiong tonsillectomy
1st group: honestly informed mothers, having
opportunity to ask questions in friendly
atmosphere developed feeeling of security which
positively influenced childrens well being
2nd group: treated „routine way” achieved
worse results of treatment
Motivation actions
• Motivation for health maintaining actions
is more effective when based on positive
motivation (stressing good results of
behaviour instead of treatening with
damaging effects of negligence)
Success in communication depends
on:
• The personalities of both doctor and
patient and is not dependent on following
a given stereotype
• It usually has its own indivdual,
characteristic doctors style
• It is thought that 60% of therapy depends
on good communication
Factors influencing patient`s
evaluation of doctor
• Patients evaluate: apparence (neatness
•
increases impression of competence and
intelligence)
The phenomenon known as the „aureole” which
means that we are credit a person possessing
features accepted by us with others merits.
Other factors influencing our opinion are:
financial status, titles, beauty and personality
Dental surgery space
• Patients visiting the surgery may need to
•
•
•
overcom fear, which may manifest itself as
aggression
To break the barrier we should introduce
oursleves and shake hands
A window opposite the doors may blind the
patient and make evaluation of doctor reaction
difficult
Surgery aesthetics
Summary:
• Communication with a patient cannot be
based on acting, it has to be the result of
the doctor`s deep beliefs and be in his
psyche
• Ability to communicate can be inborn, but
can also be learnt
• For this the dentist needs; experience,
practice and learnig how to listen
Thank you for your attention
Any questions or comments ?