Skip to the main content.
GET QUOTE   Trial

2 min read

8 Mistakes to Avoid in Communication in Healthcare

Having effective communication strategies in place is essential if you want to share both critical and time-sensitive information about your healthcare organization with others, both internally and externally.

Healthcare and hospitals communications

Your organization’s internal communications will reflect on its external communications, that is the information that you share with patients, families and the community, so it is important to get it right. Well-informed staff can help keep your stakeholders well-informed.

Some common communication errors in healthcare are:

1. Sending too many emails

In the 21st century, many people have email fatigue. If you are relying on emails or you send too many emails, it is easy for your message to get lost. It’s also likely it may not even be read, and be buried under an avalanche of other emails in someone’s inbox.

2. Not communicating in a timely manner

No matter what the issue – if you have a crisis you are responding to or you want to communicate new procedures that are being implemented, timing is everything. For a issue or a crisis you need to be on the front-foot and ensure that staff are hearing from management first, before they hear rumors from elsewhere.

3. Not communicating with the right people

Understanding the audience for your communications is key. Who needs to know the information? Don’t take a scatter-gun approach – be strategic. In addition to this, take into account how different audiences like to be communicated with. For example elderly patients will want to receive information in more traditional ways than your Millennial employees.

4. Sending complex information

All communications, whether communication in the hospital or externally, should be in plain, easy to understand language. Your external audiences need to be able to understand the information you are sharing with them, and they are not experts in medicine or the health system.

Similarly, employees find it difficult to understand bureaucratic jargon, so when you are communicating with them you need to do so in a way that will engage them and not cause them to tune out.

5. Sending vague information

This is the opposite of complex information, but if you don’t clearly spell out what it is that you want to let people know about, and what action they need to take, you will get a poor outcome. Don’t assume that everyone you are communicating with knows the background to a particular issue. Also be sure to let them know why they need to know what you are communicating with them. Avoid acronyms and slang – again, this assumes a level of familiarity the audience may not have.

6. Not having clearly defined goals

What is the purpose of your communication? Is there a call to action or do you simply want to share information? Having goals leads to better outcomes.

7. Only having a one-way flow of communication

Communication shouldn’t just come from management to employees and stakeholders – they should also have a way of being able to share their thoughts and ideas as well.

8. Not evaluating your communications

If you don’t evaluate your communication strategies in healthcare, you won’t know if you have been successful or not, and you are likely to keep making the same mistakes.

 

Why Change Management Fails Without Communication – And How to Fix It

14 min read

Why Change Management Fails Without Communication – And How to Fix It

You could have the best communication strategy for change management, the right tools, and a clear business case, but if your employees don’t...

Read More
Martyn’s Law: UK Security Compliance and DeskAlerts’ Role

14 min read

Martyn’s Law: UK Security Compliance and DeskAlerts’ Role

Martyn’s Law will change how UK venues prepare for terrorist threats as it requires businesses to take proactive security measures to protect the...

Read More
Best Practices and Examples to Improve Internal Communication with DeskAlerts

5 min read

Best Practices and Examples to Improve Internal Communication with DeskAlerts

If you’re reading this, you probably already know that effective corporate communication is crucial for almost any industry, including healthcare,...

Read More
What to Look for in an Emergency Preparedness System

2 min read

What to Look for in an Emergency Preparedness System

When a disaster happens, the healthcare system often has a critical role to play in saving lives and ensuring casualties are cared for.

Read More
10 Digital Tips For Effective Internal Communication In Healthcare

5 min read

10 Digital Tips For Effective Internal Communication In Healthcare

When internal communication is done well within a healthcare organization, staff are better informed, are more engaged, are less likely to make...

Read More
Burnout in Healthcare

7 min read

Burnout in Healthcare

Burnout in healthcare is a pervasive and concerning phenomenon that affects a significant number of medical professionals, ranging from physicians...

Read More