Week 22

Kia orāna, Welkom, Bienvenue, Shalom. Hello, and welcome to another session on communication techniques.

This session we will focus on:

• Appropriate verbal and non-verbal language
• Communicating information clearly and accurately
• Checking for patient understanding

Appropriate verbal and non-verbal language

In the pharmacy industry, pharmacy technicians must provide the correct information to patients on health-related matters. The words you choose, your attitude and the nonverbal cues you convey all impact your patient interaction. By becoming aware of how you communicate, you can be more effective at what you’re communicating.

You will understand these communication techniques from your previous experience and learning, so let’s refresh and build on that knowledge and create a learning resource.

Take some time now to:

1. Do your own research on:
   • the differences between verbal and non-verbal language
   • how verbal and non-verbal language overlap to support communication.
2. Read the following articles on cross-cultural communication:
   • Psychology Today: Unveiling Cross-Cultural Communication Styles
   • Stuff NZ: Many meanings for gestures
   • HSE: Nonverbal communication: A leaflet for healthcare staff
3. Complete the following Documentation Tool activity to extend and reflect on these communication techniques.

When providing information on health-related matters to patients, pharmacy technicians must be mindful of verbal and non-verbal communication. This involves how you use these communication techniques and your ability to understand and interpret your patients' expressions during interactions.

Let’s summarise the key points.

Verbal language

Verbal language refers to the use of spoken or written words to convey information and express thoughts, ideas, or emotions. It includes the actual words, tone of voice, and any other vocal expressions used during communication.

Appropriate and professional verbal language involves clear and concise communication, using a professional and empathetic tone in a way the patient can easily understand.

Non-verbal language

Non-verbal language encompasses communication through gestures, facial expressions, body language, eye contact, and other non-verbal cues that convey messages without using words.

Appropriate and professional non-verbal language includes maintaining good eye contact, displaying a welcoming posture, and showing attentiveness, listening and empathy towards the patient's concerns.

Non-verbal language often complements and reinforces verbal language by providing additional context, emotional cues, and emphasis. For instance, a reassuring verbal statement accompanied by a comforting touch or facial expression can enhance the overall message of empathy and care.

Aligning verbal and non-verbal language

When verbal and non-verbal language do not align, it can lead to confusion or mistrust.

• If a patient's verbal and non-verbal language misaligns, this can result in confusion for the pharmacy technician. They may be unable to assess the patient’s needs and provide appropriate care.
• If a pharmacy technician's verbal language does not align with their non-verbal cues, it can lead to patient misunderstandings and a lack of confidence and trust in the technician. The patient may feel disrespected and unvalued and not receive the care they need.

Factors to consider when interacting with patients

What should you consider when using verbal and non-verbal communication with a patient or when you are interpreting their communication?

Pause now and write down your thoughts. By identifying these factors on your own first, you’ll boost your self-awareness and deepen your understanding of this topic.

Click on the (+) symbols to reveal some suggestions.

How did you go with the factors to consider? Perhaps you had thought of ones, not on the list? Before moving on to the next learning activity, review what you have read and add to your notes.

Communicating information clearly, accurately, and checking for patient understanding

As a pharmacy technician, a large part of your role is to provide information and advice to pharmacy patients. Therefore, it is important to be skilled in communicating information clearly and accurately. Once you have provided information, you must also check that your communication has been understood accurately and in the way you intended.

In this next activity, you will think about your experiences of being provided with new information in a kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) situation. The provider might be a teacher, health professional or someone with specialist knowledge (mechanic, gym instructor, etc.). This activity aims to identify effective communication strategies by reflecting on your experiences.

How did you go with your reflection? Were you able to identify what behaviours and actions made receiving information an easy and positive experience for you?

To learn more about strategies on how to communicate more clearly with your patients, read this article from ACP Decisions: How to Communicate More Clearly with Your Patients & Members. You may like to take notes as you read for future reference.

Providing accurate information

It goes without saying that the clear information you provide to your patients must also be accurate. You can communicate information effectively, but if the information is not accurate, then it can cause serious harm to the patient’s health and well-being.

To ensure that information is accurate, you can:

• refer to reliable resources such as the New Zealand Formulary (NZF), Medsafe, dispensary databases, pharmacy Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Ministry of Health websites.
• consult with the pharmacist, other pharmacy staff or health professionals.
• stay informed and up to date through professional development opportunities such as training, workshops, and reading journal articles.
• double-check information before providing it to avoid errors or pick up changes to information.
• make use of approved patient education materials such as PSNZ self-care cards.

And remember, if you’re ever unsure of what information to provide or how to answer enquiries, say so and refer the patient to the pharmacist.

Now, have a go applying this knowledge to a real-world scenario.

Strategies to check patient understanding

Questions:	Ask open-ended questions to encourage the patient to repeat back, summarise the information or ask what they understand about their medication, condition, or treatment plan. Ask prompt questions such as "Is there anything you'd like me to clarify, repeat or tell you more about?"
Use the "Teach-back" Method:	Ask the patient to explain the instructions or information as if they were instructing someone else. This confirms their understanding and identifies any gaps.
Summarise:	Ask the patient to restate the information in their own words or summarise the critical points to ensure accurate comprehension.
Visual Demonstrations:	Ask the patient to demonstrate how they would use or administer the medication based on the instructions provided. For example, how to use an inhaler, or point to the tablets that they take in the morning and which ones they take in the evening.
Clarifying Questions:	Ask targeted questions to confirm the patient's understanding of specific aspects of the information, such as dosing, side effects, or dietary restrictions.
Encourage Questions:	Invite the patient to ask any questions or make comments as they come to mind during your interaction. This means misunderstandings can be corrected immediately and confusion avoided before moving on to providing more information. If the patient waits until you have completed communicating all the information, they may have forgotten their question or cannot focus on the rest of what you are saying.
Provide Opportunities for Discussion:	Engage the patient in a discussion about their condition, medication, or treatment options, allowing them to ask questions and seek clarification.
Use Non-verbal Cues:	Observe the patient's body language and facial expressions to gauge their level of understanding and comfort with the provided information.
Feedback and Validation:	Acknowledge the patient's understanding and reinforce the information by saying phrases such as “Yes, you’re right, it’s one tablet once a day” or “Great, I can see you are using the correct technique for taking your inhaler.”

Great work! Was your list similar to this one?

It’s important to note that simply asking a patient, “Do you understand?” is NOT an effective way to check they understand, for the following reasons:

• This is a closed question, requiring a one-word answer that doesn’t encourage discussion or questions.
• If a patient answers “Yes”, it does not give you insight into their understanding. They may have understood the information inaccurately.
• Patients may fear appearing unintelligent, incompetent or lacking in knowledge, leading them to say “Yes” to avoid embarrassment or shame.
• Patients may feel pressured to give a positive response to please you or to be polite.
• Patients may not want to inconvenience or take up your time by saying “No" or asking questions.
• Cultural differences or language barriers.
  • This may hinder a patient's ability to express their lack of understanding or ask a question.
  • A cultural norm may be to agree, say “Yes”, or not ask questions to a person seen as being in authority regardless of whether they understand or not.

By using the communication techniques we have covered in this session, you can ensure that your verbal and non-verbal language are effective. You can verify and ensure that patients clearly and accurately understand the information provided. These communication techniques promote safe, patient-centred care that improves patient health and well-being.

Selamat! Congratulations! You’ve completed another week of Professional Practice.

Welcome back to Introduction to Dispensing. At this point in the course, we focus on revising and cementing your previous dispensing knowledge.

As you come towards the end of level 4, you may have noticed that we have been encouraging you towards greater independence and responsibility for your own learning. This essential academic and life skill prepares you for learning at level 5 and the real-world expectations of working in a pharmacy.

Before we move on, let’s pause to consider what “independence and responsibility for your own learning” means. You may already know what this means, but it is worth investing time into refreshing your knowledge and asking yourself questions such as “How well am I doing at being an independent learner?” “What could I do better?” or “Am I seeking out learning or just waiting to be told what to learn?”

Read this article from Pharmacy Times: Learning to Become a Better Learner: 10 Tips for Success in Pharmacy School and Beyond. The article explains why it’s essential to have effective learning strategies and tips on improving yours. As you know by now, creating your own notes as you read is a learning strategy many learners use to read actively and create a resource for future learning. So, use whatever method suits you best to get the most out of this reading.

As the article notes, metacognition (reflecting on your learning) allows you to think about your learning and how to improve it. To assist your metacognition, complete the following Document tool activity.

Now, we come to the part of this session where you can practice being responsible for your learning. Use your online learning time effectively to revise the content of this course and prepare for your upcoming assessments.

This week of Introduction to Dispensing is complete. Ka pai, good work.

 

This week, you invested the time to reflect on your journey as a learner so far. This is an important stage in the learning process as you can celebrate your achievements and plan your actions ahead. Autaia koe, you’re a champ!