INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

Effective Communication Module

1st year / 1st Semester / 2019 / FMUI 2019
Farhan Hary Arafah
1906315840

Dos and Don’ts in Group Communication

Introduction
In this time and era, humans are the most successful species of organism to
ever roam the surface of the earth. This is not a feat to take light of. In almost every
corner of land on earth, humans are present. The seas also has been conquered by
humans from long ago to establish trading paths which interconnects and become
one of the foundations where this world stands upon. Such an achievement could
never be achieved if humans do not cooperate and comply with each other.
Collaboration is a key component for such success. Collaboration could only be
achieved through communication which is done effectively,

Communication could happen in various forms and each form is based off of a
component of communication. Amount of communicator and communicant, media,
and methods, they all contribute in their own way towards communication.
Communication can be done interpersonally (between 2 people). It could, of course,
be done collectively in a group.

Communication in health care or services is very crucial. It could have

impacts in various extents. It may seem as light as wind passing but at times it could
be a matter of life and death. In the case of the latter, communication plays a vital
role, where one small mistake could be very impactful or even fatal at times. Most of
the times, physicians must communicate with a group whether it is patient-wise or
with their peers. So it is safe to say that group communication in health care or
services is crucial. In group communication it could be done in several ways but of
course there are some things that could enhance and inhibit the process of the
communication.

Content
Group communication in medicine is a type of communication which involves
more than two participants. Examples of for this communication are mass
communication with patient, a small group discussion among peers, etc. Since this
kind of communication happens between multiple participants, there are some
inhibitors that may slow down or jeopardize the communication process but there are
some things that may also support and perhaps increase the effectivity of
communication
Group communication in health care the presence of setbacks are
undeniable, and it may inhibit the process of transfer of communication. Therefore,
there are some things that must be given attention to when undergoing the process
of communication in groups. The first cause of communication inhibition is not
knowing the audiences/patients1. In group communication in health care, the
communicator must know who the communicants are and their background, say,
their back grounds. One’s background has a very big impact on how the patient acts
and react. The communicator must be able to analyze the characters of the people in
the group1 and the group itself such as the groups tendencies, dynamics, etc. by
analyzing and using the information gathered, the communicator could assess the
information that they are attempting to
give more effectively and avoid miscommunication which may result in an unwanted
arguments. Second inhibitor is the communicator’s ignorance towards the local
culture’s communication pattern. In each culture, ways of communication may vary.
It is crucial for the communicator to identify the audience’s or patient’s cultural
background to minimize the risk of miscommunication. After the doctor or the
communicator has identified the pattern, the doctor must adjust their tendencies on
communicating according to the current cultural pattern in the group to enhance the
effectivity of communication. The third inhibitor in medical communication could
happen when the communicator lacks the ability to listen 1. Not only that doctors must
be able to talk and address information with utmost clarity, doctors must also have
the ability to listen to the patients thoroughly to avoid misinterpretations. This also
applies in group discussion among peers. As a doctor, we must be able to listen and
respect our peers’ opinions especially in a discussion with them. Our peers might
have a good point and they may have insights from different perspective. In
medicinal group communication, unfamiliarity towards the media in which the
communication process is undergoing may cause inhibition 1. Understanding the
media in which the communicator is communicating with has a large impact on how
the information is received by the communicant. For example, the communicator is
communicating verbally. In this context the communication media is verbal
expressions. The doctor as communicator must keep in mind that with verbal
communication, attention must be given to the nonverbal expressions too since
nonverbal expressions has a large impact on verbal communication too. At times the
communicators’ and communicants’ emotions may slow down the information
transfer2.

In medical group communication, there are also some points that may act as
a guideline which supports the process of communication. Participate the patient or
audience in an active situation in the communication process 3. The doctor must be
able to make the communication two directions; doctor-patient and patient-doctor or
doctor-doctor (in peers and colleagues). In group communication in medicine,
especially with patients, it is important for doctors’ to assess the extent of the
patients’ and company’s (if they bring some) prior knowledge. Knowing the patients’
and company’s knowledge extent may help the doctors to adjust on how the doctor
should communicate. To try and assess the patients’ prior knowledge, some points
must be followed. Some of which involves gaining their trust, gathering clues,
establish rapport, and many else4. As the communicator, planning what to say
beforehand is an excellent thing to do2. This could help avoid any inhibitions or
setbacks that could happen in the communication process.

1
Conclusion
Medical group communication is crucial and vital for the sake of patients’
safety. Without effective group communication, health care could end up in a
mayhem. There are some things that must be done and avoided to execute effective
group communication whether it is between peers or between patients. With that
being said we could conclude that effective group communication in medicine is
crucial and must be done according to a certain guideline to avoid
miscommunication and mishaps
References
1. Liliweri A. Dasar-dasar komunikasi kesehatan. Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar;
2007 Jan. cet: V p. 266-276
2. AMA STAFF. Communication dos and don’ts to increase your effectiveness
[internet]. New York. Publisher unknown; 2017 Sep 29 [cited 2019 Oct 8].
Available from https://playbook.amanet.org/training-articles-workplace-
communication-dos-donts/
3. Ignatik K. Dos and don’ts of communication [internet]. Michigan. Hillsdale
College; Date of publication unknown [cited 2019 Oct 8] available from
https://www.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale-blog/academics/dos-donts-communication/
4. National library of medicine. Communicating with patients. Bethesda. MedlinePlus;
date of publication unknown [updated 2017 Nov 20; cited 2019 Oct 8]. Available
from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000456.htm