Health Care Communication Methods- Nursing Home Administrator

Chelsey P. Cabrera
University of Phoenix
March 30, 2015

Introduction
Health communication is vital in running an effective facility. According to du Pre (2005), “Health communication is shaped by many influences including personal goals, skills, cultural orientation, situational factors, and consideration of other people’s feelings. Health communication is important to individuals, organizations, and society overall. It is crucial to meeting medical goals, enhancing personal well-being, saving money and time, and making the most of health information.” There are many advantages and disadvantages of using traditional, electronic, and social media for health care communication in a nursing home and one must be aware of these advantages and disadvantages in order to comply with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws and effectively ensure that the client’s care and housing needs are met.
As a Nursing Home Administrator my main priority is to find a new home for the residents who have difficulty communicating, have no local family, and have not indicated that they approve the release of their medical information. The two main methods of communication that I would use in a professional manner would be traditional and electronic communication. I would not use social media as this situation pertains sensitive material and HIPAA laws forbid me to publicize any medical information, however, I will use social media to inquire about other nursing homes and see what nursing homes meet my client’s adult care and financial needs.
Traditional Communication Traditional communication is commonly used amongst health care professionals and these communication tools include: telephone, face-to-face conversations, and letters. The advantages to telephone communication is providing real-time interaction with the client and their family. Telephone communication allows for a more in-depth conversation regarding the clients care. The disadvantage to telephone communication is that it affects work flow by encumbering the facility with a high volume of calls. The advantages to letters is that it provides efficiency and there are no phone tags, it also allows the recipient to respond on a timely manner. The disadvantages to letters is that I am not able to observe my recipients body language or any form of silent communication. Moreover, face-to-face interaction is commonly used amongst physicians and other health care professionals. There are many advantages to face-to-face interaction, I can respond immediately to any questions or concerns regarding my clients care, I can express my feelings and coordinate and collaborate with families and other health care professionals. The disadvantages of face-to-face interaction is that it’s difficult to perform in a large facility and it interrupts the work flow. Traditional communication would be used to inform clients of the change in management and what the next step is with managing their care. Although some clients may not be able to communicate and no local families are available, their next of kin would be informed by telephone, letter, or face-to-face communication.
Electronic Communication Electronic communication is widely increasing in the health care field. Emailing is commonly used amongst nursing home administrators, health care professionals, and families. The advantages to emailing is that it provides a convenience in communicating and it is readily accessible to everyone. Emailing would be used in my clients care while communicating with other nursing home administrators on the type of care management the facility has to offer and if it meets my client’s financial needs. The disadvantage to emailing is HIPAA laws forbid any passing of medical records through an unsecured network and it lacks the human touch. Furthermore, although my client has difficulty communicating I