Effective communication between the doctor and the patient is important in developing a therapeutic relationship in the medical profession. This kind of relationship is integral in the medical field. It is necessary if the health care giver is to offer the quality services to the patient. Failure in this form of communication results in patients’ dissatisfaction. Effective communication should be nurtured in order to acquire sufficient historical information about the patient. The following is a description of the interview and communication techniques done between a health care giver and a 16 year old white pregnant teenager in an inner city neighborhood.
Techniques for effective communication should be applied right from the first meeting. However, the caregiver is supposed to prepare himself or herself in order to enhance effectiveness in communication. To do this, the most important communication technique is to seek connection (Ball et al. 2015). This will be enhanced to limit chances of becoming a barrier to effective communication and thus hinder gathering of information from the teenager. For instance, it the caregiver may not be so stiff in terms of formality and should not be too casual as well. He or she should instill confidence and choose words wisely and carefully. Thus, there is a need to be self-aware.
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The other technique that may be applied by the healthcare giver is to enhance the patient responses. The types of questions asked should be carefully phrased to obtain more accurate answers from the patient (Ball et al. 2015). Questions should be asked in a direct and logical manner, for instance, enhancing open-ended, direct or leading questions. In cases when the patient is not familiar with the medical terms language, need for facilitation, reflection, clarification, emphasizing, confrontation, etc. should be recognized. This will save on time and channel the right feedback.
The instruments applicable to the 16 year old pregnant teenager include the laboratory parameters, routine clinical parameters, fetal monitoring related techniques, and ultrasound, and dropper parameters ( Liu & Dipietro Mager, 2016) . The laboratory instruments used are important to determine whether the patient is suffering from conditions such as hyperglycemia or albuminuria. The fetal monitoring techniques are used to determine the basal heart rate, deceleration, variability and acceleration. The routine clinical techniques are performed to determine the maternal age (which is 16 in this case), gestational age, height, blood pressure, metrorragia, uterine contraction, weight gain, amniotic fluid loss and seizure ( Baker, Quiñonez, Boggess & Phillips, 2016) . Finally, ultrasound and Doppler techniques are necessary for fetal presentation and for checking uterine and fetal Doppler signals.
Important to remember during interviewing and information gathering is recording. However, it is important to understand that despite the terms used for gathering information are in layman’s language, health records should be maintained in medical terms for reference by other health practitioners if need be (Sullivan, 2019). Besides, with the advance in technology, automated recording may be used which enhances the sharing of information within the relevant departments. However, the confidentiality of the recorded information should be enhanced.
To gather the necessary information from the current patient, the following are sample questions that may be used:
How would you like me to address you?
How are you feeling today?
How private are you?
How are you coping with your current condition?
Are you concerned about financial difficulties based on your current medical condition?
Are there any medical matters you are not okay being disclosed to others?
Would you like to know all the medical matters regarding your pregnancy?
References
Baker, S. D., Quiñonez, R. B., Boggess, K., & Phillips, C. (2016). Pregnant Women’s infant oral health knowledge and beliefs: influence of having given birth and of having a child in the home. Maternal and child health journal , 20 (6), 1288-1295.
Ball, J.W et al. (2015). Seidel's guide to physical examination 8th edition.
Liu, K. A., & Dipietro Mager, N. A. (2016). Women’s involvement in clinical trials: historical perspective and future implications. Pharmacy Practice (Granada) , 14 (1), 0-0.
Sullivan D. D. (2019). Guide to clinical Documentation.
