The Communication Cure: How to Transform Employee Communication in Hospitals for Better Patient Outcomes

Communication plays a key role in several sectors, including healthcare and hospitals. Failure of internal communication processes in healthcare services can lead to severe patient harm and negatively impact the sustainability of healthcare organizations.

Data also highlights that a staggering 80% of medical errors happen because of poor communication among hospitals and healthcare providers.

Further, poor communication can result in misdiagnosis and other medical mistakes that can easily lead to serious health complications for patients. This is why effective internal communication at the workplace is of paramount importance to make employees and staff feel informed and updated and perform their jobs well.

In this post, we will explore the importance of communication in hospitals and healthcare systems in more detail and outline the main effects of poor communication in healthcare. We will also suggest various strategies to improve communication between staff and effectively communicate information to patients.

Importance of Communication in Hospitals

Taking good care of patients in hospitals requires much more than regular procedures and diagnoses. Apart from these, you also need an effective internal communication system for better patient outcomes.

Miscommunications in hospitals and healthcare facilities can take place for various reasons, such as overworked staff, ineffective policies, language barriers, and more.

Data also suggests that the communication gap in hospitals and healthcare systems costs over £1 billion in wasted funds and resources every year in the UK.

This highlights the importance of better internal workplace communication in hospitals for both enhanced patient outcomes and streamlined functioning of the healthcare system.

The good part, however, is that internal communications in hospitals can be significantly improved with proper planning and well-thought-out strategies in place (to be discussed in a later section).

Understanding Gaps in Hospital Communication

The gaps or communication challenges in the hospitals and healthcare industry today span everything from financial to clinical failures.

Here are some of the gaps that you need to explore:

1. Limited Technological Ability

Gaps in technological ability can affect both hospital workers and patients. A report also found that 55% of people over 65 lack at least one essential digital skill. Likewise, more than 50% of people don’t have the basic digital skills they require. This prevents hospitals and other medical organizations from adopting the tools that can streamline internal communication.

2. Documentation Failures

Documentation failure includes the inability of the staff and employees to document day-to-day communication other than manually. In cases where they do document it, some of it being inaccurate or incomplete is high. Many times, errors such as patient account numbers being transposed happen, risking the information to go into the wrong account and preventing retrieval later on.

3. Inappropriate Choice of Medium

Delivering or passing the information through an inappropriate medium can sometimes confuse staff and employees, leading to negative patient outcomes. In such cases, powerful software or animations can help. For instance, medical device animation can show patients how to use them in the best possible way.

Effects of Poor Communication in Hospitals and Healthcare Industry

Poor communication in hospitals can really make things tough—for both patients and staff. When communication breaks down, it often leads to negative patient outcomes, like misunderstandings about treatment plans or missed symptoms, which is the last thing anyone wants. It can also waste precious medical resources, like having to redo tests or extend hospital stays simply because information wasn’t shared properly.

1. Negative Patient Outcomes: Misunderstandings about treatment plans or missed symptoms can result from communication failures. The Joint Commission reported that inadequate communication was a root cause of over 60% of hospital adverse events in the U.S.
2. Wasted Medical Resources: Duplicate tests, unnecessary procedures, or extended hospital stays can occur when information isn’t properly shared. A study by CRICO Strategies found that communication failures were a factor in 30% of medical malpractice claims, leading to significant financial costs.
3. Reduced Quality of Care: Patients are less likely to adhere to treatment plans when miscommunication occurs, resulting in poorer health outcomes. A study highlighted that communication failures contributed to a substantial portion of adverse events in healthcare settings.
4. Increased Healthcare Costs: The World Health Organization estimated that medication errors alone cost $42 billion annually, not including additional costs from lost wages or productivity.
5. Decreased Staff Satisfaction: Poor communication can lead to stress and burnout among healthcare staff. The Joint Commission’s Annual Report on Quality and Safety found that inadequate communication was a leading cause of adverse events, impacting staff morale.

In contrast, effective communication in hospitals can:

• Help improve quality of care and overall patient outcomes
• Improve patient satisfaction scores significantly
• Enhance the overall patient experience
• Reduce stress for hospital employees, staff, and clinicians and prevent burnout
• Reduce the cost of healthcare

How to Improve Hospital Communication?

There are several strategies that hospitals can adopt to improve communication in hospitals. Here are some of the steps to get your hospital started on the path to more effective communication.

1. Streamline Various Communication Channels

Working in healthcare and hospitals requires multiple protocols to be followed, which means streamlining your communication channels becomes very important. Most modern clinical communication and team collaboration platforms have significantly improved communication in hospitals and the overall healthcare system.

These solutions include robust text messaging platforms (HIPAA-compliant) that can be used by hospital employees and staff to communicate effectively with each other. This helps ensure that only the most accurate and correct information is communicated to the right people at the right time.

Adopting these platforms also allows hospitals to manage patient safety better, reduce potential medical errors, decrease patient wait times, increase overall patient throughput, and significantly cut costs as well.

2. Encourage Mobile Collaboration

Most hospitals and healthcare facilities still rely on traditional methods such as pagers or manual means of communication. While these are effective ways to contact someone for an immediate conversation, they aren’t necessarily suitable for a two-way conversation that could include detailed technical or medical information. 

Likewise, medical staff struggle most with responding to emails in their busy schedules.

An excellent solution here is to encourage frequent mobile app collaboration. An increasing number of hospitals and healthcare organizations offer mobile devices to their employees and staff as a way of bridging the communication gap.

With over 80% of American adults owning and using smartphones, mobile apps offer a convenient and effective form of communication with hospital staff and between patients and hospital staff.

3. Conduct Staff Training Programs

One of the best ways to transform employee communication in hospitals is by offering proper employee training on how to communicate with each other effectively, especially when sharing information regarding the patient.

You can consider looking into a communication training program for either your department only or the entire hospital staff. The best way to go about this is by picking a training module that includes specific training in communication techniques along with verbal and nonverbal language skills for the entire hospital staff.

4. Display Positive Communication

Apart from incorporating employee training programs, hospital leadership should also constantly model excellent communication skills.

This includes exchanging clear and transparent information with employees, seeking input and clarification, sharing regular updates, etc. It highlights the importance of strong communication skills and tells employees how these skills are important for an organization.

5. Maintain Clarity at the Managers’ and Administrators’ Level

Good internal communication in hospitals starts at the top management. When leaders, managers, and administrators can communicate goals and expectations to their respective teams,  employees can better understand how to work toward those goals.

It is important to keep in mind that effective communication in any organization is strategic. In healthcare, particularly, leaders and managers should be mindful of how they communicate through emails, texts, memos, and policy manuals.

Software tools and communication apps can often help with written communications in such cases. Employee engagement software can allow leaders in hospitals to effectively collaborate with their teams on various policies and procedures and accordingly communicate about how to implement changes in their respective hospitals.

6. Break Down Communication Barriers

In hospitals, there is a high chance of staff miscommunication during shift changes. To avoid this, ensure that a streamlined method is in place for staff and workers who need to relay pertinent information to their coworkers.

Generative AI is another excellent way for healthcare practitioners to break communication barriers. It allows them to practice their communication skills with virtual patients who can respond to their questions and cues naturally and consistently. This helps hospital employees and staff develop their ability to listen effectively and deliver information clearly, transparently, and concisely.

7. Use Technology to Streamline Communication

Various technology tools can also help organizations significantly improve communication in healthcare. For instance, theEmployeeApp’s internal communication platform can offer many benefits to hospital teams, making it an excellent solution for everyday communication.

Apart from helping you position your organization as a true leader by elevating your hospital communication, it can also help in day-to-day tasks such as storing job-critical documents in one central location so employees can access the information they need when they need it.

Benefits of Improved Communication in Hospitals

Internal communication in hospitals and other healthcare setups is a huge factor in shaping the overall organization’s culture. Effective internal communication is an essential aspect of ensuring that every employee and staff member stays up to speed.

Here are some of the other benefits of improved internal communication in hospitals:

1.  Improved Patient Outcomes

Depending on the individual case and the type of hospital or healthcare facility, a patient is likely to interact with many different employees or healthcare professionals in the course of their care.

Effective internal communication here can be an essential part of a high-quality patient stay. When employees communicate well and collaborate, the entire team understands the goal and larger objective of patient care. This allows them to effectively pick up where the last team member left off and create a consistent experience for better patient outcomes.

2.  Better Employee Collaboration and Teamwork

Lack of effective communication can make hospital staff make random decisions individually instead of as a team.

Studies have shown that almost 85% of hospital workplace errors in similar scenarios are the result of communication failures.

On the contrary, excellent internal communication in healthcare fosters better teamwork and collaboration and can significantly increase employee engagement and productivity.

3. Enhanced Staff Engagement and Satisfaction

According to a survey by the American Medical Association, 68% of healthcare professionals reported higher job satisfaction when there was open and regular communication in their workplaces. (American Medical Association)

When hospital staff feel informed and heard, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their roles. Improved communication channels—like regular updates, clear workflows, and open feedback loops—contribute to a better work environment.

4. Reduced Healthcare Costs

Clear communication not only prevents errors but also reduces unnecessary tests, prolonged hospital stays, and readmissions, which all contribute to skyrocketing costs. By reducing miscommunications, hospitals can save significant amounts of money annually.

A World Health Organization report found that better communication strategies could save up to 25% of healthcare costs associated with medication errors alone. (WHO)

5. Improved Organizational Culture

Consistent communication builds trust, transparency, and accountability among staff members, leading to a positive organizational culture. It aligns staff with the hospital’s mission, values, and goals, enhancing patient care and overall hospital performance.

Final Takeaway

Implementing modern communication systems can significantly enhance patient outcomes and overall user satisfaction. Apart from this, adopting a powerful communication strategy in hospitals can also make accessing and sharing patient data much easier.

The EMPLOYEE App is designed to enhance internal communication for deskless and frontline workers. It provides a mobile platform for easy access to company information, HR updates, and compliance messages, fostering engagement through social features like commenting and likes.

The app also includes a mobile intranet, SMS messaging, and microlearning tools, making it adaptable to various industries such as healthcare and hospitality.

Ready to transform communication in your healthcare facility? Request a demo now!

FAQs

1. Why is internal communication important in hospitals?

Effective communication in hospitals is essential for improved patient outcomes such as patient safety, fewer medical errors, and patient care coordination. Poor communication can lead to several mistakes that can have serious consequences for patients.

2. How can you ensure effective communication in a hospital?

There can be several ways to ensure effective communication in hospitals, such as streamlining communication channels, encouraging mobile collaboration, and prioritizing face-to-face communication.

3. What is the role of communication in the hospital?

Clear communication channels in hospitals are essential to ensure that each employee or team member is aware of their responsibilities and the overall treatment plan for better patient outcomes.