MEDF 1031 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

BASIC COMMUNICATION THEORIES

FACTORS INFLUENCING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
PROFESSION-CLIENT HELPING RELATIONSHIP AND
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Winnie Kwan

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LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lecture, students are able to

Identify the definition of communication and its process.

Discuss the importance and benefits of effective communication.
Describe the various channels of communication: written, verbal and
non-verbal.
Understand the one-way and two-way communication models.
Identify factors influencing communication.
Discuss the profession-client helping relationship.
Use of therapeutic communication skills.

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 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

✓ A human activity.
✓ A process of creating and
exchanging of thoughts,
ideas, facts, emotions
and opinions with other
people using symbols. Transmitting &
✓ It is influenced by culture. receiving messages
Symbols: words, gestures, sounds, images, or objects that choose for exchanging meaning.
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 ETHICAL AND CIVIL COMMUNICATION
Ethical Communication:
Consider the moral impact of our
words, ideas, and views on other
people.
Civil Communication:
Open our mind to hear views
from different perspectives,
Use interested, honest,
including those we disagree with
and flexible manners.
them.
We are willing to listen to other people and to consider what their words mean even if we
disagree with them.
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PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
Requires two things: Reciprocity & Feedback.

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COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
People spend up to 80% of
their day in communication
related activities 9%
16%

20% 45%
Other activities
30%

80%
Day engaged in some form
of communication

Day engaged in som form of communication

Other activities without involving communication (Bill Rosenthal, 2022; Emanuel et al., 2008)

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WHY COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT?

- Makes people’s
connection.
- Build up
relationship.
- Enable flow
of
information.
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COMMUNICATION INVOLVES…….
‘Who says what to whom through what channel
with what effect…’
Who? (sender / source)
Says what? (message)
To whom (receiver)?
How? (In what channel / method)
With what effect? (outcome /
feedback)
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VARIOUS CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
Channels: Written, verbal and
non-verbal.
Examples: Books, magazines
 letters / memos / cards.
 Face to face conversations.
 emails / text messages.
 Web page / Blogs / IG.
 Poster.
Radio
 Phone calls / videoconferencing. Color Facial expression
 Song / dancing / facial expression / Gestures

gestures.
Which channels are involved in oral poster presentation?
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MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

Linear Model of Communication

Interactive Model of Communication

Transactional Model of Communication

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LINEAR MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
View communication as a one-way transmission of meaning.
Uncommon, people only sometimes engage in this one-way model of
communication.
Any examples?

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LINEAR MODEL OF COMMUNICATION

(Griffin & Bone, 2017)

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WHAT IS NOISE?
Refers to the things that interfere with the transmission and
reception of a message.
External noises:
 are distractions that exist around you. E.g. bad phone connection, loud motors,
large crowds, lighting, temperature or other people.
Internal noises:
 are thoughts and feelings we are experiencing. E.g. biases, prejudices, fear,
hunger, fatigue, illness and injuries.
Semantic noises:
 Is the interference that occurs when a speaker uses a word or phrase that is
unfamiliar / confusing / contradictory. E.g. use of jargon. - tachycardia, dyspnea,
hemorrhage and
cerebrovascular accident.
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INTERACTIVE MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
Two-way communication style.
Presence of reciprocity (mutual exchange of meanings) and
feedback in the communication.
Feedback may be verbal or non-verbal and can occur between
machines and people / people and people.
Examples:

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INTERACTIVE MODEL OF COMMUNICATION

(Griffin & Bone, 2017)

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TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF
COMMUNICATION
Two-way communication style.
Transaction refers to the exchange of messages or
information between two or more individuals.
Reflects the ongoing, collaborative and fluid nature of
communication.
Communication is more than a single act or a single event.
Relationships between the sender and the receiver are
highlighted => implies a connection.
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TRANSACTIONAL MODEL OF
COMMUNICATION

(Griffin & Bone, 2017)

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FACTORS INFLUENCING COMMUNICATION

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FACTORS INFLUENCING COMMUNICATION
Intrapersonal Interpersonal Contextual
➢ Motivation to talk ➢ Written: letter, text ➢ Physical environment:
➢ Internal noise: hunger, message via WhatApps, ➢ Any external noise?
fatigue, illness and email ➢ Lighting
injuries ➢ Verbal: Tone of voice, ➢ Noise
➢ Cultural backgrounds spoken words, contents of ➢ Temperature
and experiences: values message. ➢ Ventilation
and beliefs ➢ Nonverbal: Body gesture, ➢ Space
➢ Age: cognitive function facial expression, eye ➢ Furniture set up
➢ Self-perception & contact, touch etc.. ➢ Provide privacy
personality ➢ Adequate time
➢ Semantic noise: use of
jargon
➢ Communication skills 19
LET’S DO A SELF-REFLECTION ON YOUR
OWN COMMUNICATION SKILLS
How do you rate your
communication skills in a
scale from 0-10?
0 score: the poorest ;
10 scores: the best.

1. Why don’t you rate as 10?

2. What aspects you need to improve your communication skills?
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DR ALBERT MEHRABIAN (1971) 3 V’S
OF COMMUNICATION Which element makes the most
contribution in our communication?

3 elements of effective communication:

➢Verbal – What we say? (Spoken words) Visual Vocal
(55%) (38%)
➢Vocal – How we sound? (Tone)
➢Visual – How we look? (Body language)
Verbal
(7%)

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ROLES AND DUTIES……..

 What are your roles and duties in the health care industry?
 Why effective communication is essential in your daily life and workplace? 22
BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Provide quality of patient care → Increase patient
satisfaction.
Build up trust and rapport → create a supportive and
empathetic environment (profession-client helping
relationship).
Maintain patient’s safety → reduce medical errors →
improve patient’s outcome.
Conduct effective health education.
Facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration.
Enhance teamwork and improve overall efficiency.

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Building profession-client helping
relationship

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4 PHASES OF BUILDING UP HELPING RELATIONSHIP

•Pre-interaction phase – Preparation for the first encounter with

1 the client.
•Introductory phase – Initial encounter between the health
2 profession and the client, get to know each other.
•Working phase – Conduct client’s assessment, identify health
3 needs, develop realistic goals and implement the plan.
•Termination phase –Helping relationship is coming to the end as
4 the goals are completed.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION
Unlike the social relationship =>
client’s and goal’s centre
A specific type of communication
used in healthcare settings to
establish a supportive and healing
relationship between a healthcare
professional and patients.
Create a safe and empathetic
environment that promotes open
and honest communication.

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THE LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION
Non-sharing
Fact sharing what you know
Opinion sharing what you think
Emotion sharing what you feel

Degree of trust Transparent Sharing who you are

Build up relationship
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KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THERAPEUTIC
COMMUNICATION
Physical attending e.g. body language.
Attentive listening
Empathy
Questioning for clarification
Reflection
Respectful and non-judgmental
Summarizing
PHYSICAL ATTENDING
Non-verbal behaviors to indicate interest & attention.
Actions to take – SOLER
✓S – Sit squarely with client
✓O – Adopt an open posture
✓L – Lean toward the person
✓E – Maintain good eye contact
✓R – Try to be relatively relaxed
LISTENING CONTINUUM

An active process that

requires energy and
concentration.
Involve paying attention to
both verbal and nonverbal
messages. Are they congruent?
No interruption.
Convey an attitude of caring
and interest.
LISTENING
Eyes (to see)
Ears (to hear)

Undivided Attention
(to focus)

King (respect) Heart (to feel)

CHECKLIST ON SKILLS FOR LISTENING
DO Don’t
 ‘tell me that again’ / ‘tell me more’ X Tapping pen / pencil
 ‘from your expression, you feel…..” X Eyes wander around
 Uttering ‘uh huh’ or ‘mmm’ / X Saying ‘really’
Nodding
 Keep open and a relaxed posture X Sighing
➢ Keep appropriate eye contact X Playing with objects
 Lean forward to show interest X Looking at the clock or watch, your
phone, or around the room
 Listen non-judgementally and put X Turning away
yourself in the other person’s shoes
EMPATHY
People with empathy can
see with the eyes of another;
hear with the ears of another;
feel with the heart of another.

Empathy is you put yourself into someone’s shoe.

“I’ve learned that people will forget
what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel.”
By Maya Angelou

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EMPATHY MAP

What you Hear? What you Think?

What you See? What you Feel?

USING QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION
Open-ended questions:
 Allow greater exploration of an issue and deeper
understanding but more time consuming.
 ‘What’s your opinion?’ / ‘How’s your feelings?’ / ‘How has your
pain affected your daily life?’ / ‘What do you mean of unable to
take the drugs on time?’
Closed-ended questions:
 Useful if time is limited and expect simple yes / no
answer.
 ‘Have you taken your medication this morning?’ / ‘Do you feel
any discomfort?’
*Avoid leading and compound questions! *
REFLECTION
Repeat words from client’s statement,
adding little or nothing personal judgement
of what the person said.
Aim to convey understanding and empathy
by mirroring others’ emotion or feelings.
Patient: “I feel so anxious about the upcoming
operation.”
Healthcare provider: “It sounds like you’re really
anxious about the surgery coming up.”
ONLINE COMMUNICATION SKILLS MICRO MODULES
EXERCISES

(Opening Period: 12 Feb – 19 Mar 2025)

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BRING HOME MESSAGES
 Communication is a process of creating and exchanging of thoughts, ideas, facts and
emotions.
 Communication is a reciprocal process that requires continuous feedback between the
sender and the receiver.
 Communication makes people’s connection and build up relationship.
 Channels of communication include: Written, verbal and non-verbal.
 Effective communication should minimize the noises which may interfere with the
transmission and reception of a message.
 Therapeutic communication is client’s and goal’s centre, it helps to establish a
supportive and healing relationship between HCP and patients.
 Characteristics of therapeutic communication involve physical attending, attentive
listening, empathy, questioning, reflection, non-judgemental, and summarizing.
REFERENCES
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Berman, A. & Snyder, S. J. (2016). Kozier & Erb’s Fundamentals of Nursing: concepts, process and practice
(10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Corless, I. B., Michel, T. H., Nicholas, M.,, Jameson, D., Purtilo, R., & Dirkes, A. (2009). Educating health
professions students about the issues involved in communication effectively: A novel approach.
Journal of Nursing Education, 48(7), 367-373.
Dainton, M., & Zelley, E. D. (2019). Applying communication theory for professional life: A practical
introduction (4th ed.). London: Sage Publications.
DeVito, J. A. (2013). Essentials of Human Communication (8th ed.). New York: Pearson.
Griffin, C. L. & Bone, J. E. (2017). Invitation to human communication (2nd ed.). United States: Cengage
Learning.
Hall, P. (2005). Interprofessional teamwork: Professional cultures as barriers. Journal of Interprofessional
Care, 25(sppl.1), 188-196.
Hemsley, B., Balandin, S., & Worrall, L. (2012). Nursing the patient with complex communication needs:
Time as a barrier and a facilitator to successful communication in hospital. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 68(1), 116-126.

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