Advanced Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and ...

Chapter Three
Treatment
Staff identify many of the patient’s unique needs during
admission and assessment, and it is important for hospitals to
address those needs while providing care, treatment, and
services. It is equally important to recognize that needs may
change during the course of treatment. This stage of the care
continuum allows hospitals to integrate effective
communication, cultural competence, and patient- and
family-centered care into discussions about treatment options,
risks, and alternatives. In addition, hospitals should be
prepared to adapt existing processes and procedures to meet
patient needs through the duration of treatment, which can
vary from days to weeks.
Before engaging the patient in care planning discussions, the
hospital must address the patient’s communication needs. The
patient has to be able to understand his or her health
information and fully participate in the conversation so that
the hospital may obtain informed consent, provide patient
education, or accommodate any unique needs.
The next section includes both recommendations for
hospitals to promote patient and family involvement in the
treatment process (with check boxes) and practice examples
(with round bullets). While the recommended issues present
broad, overarching concepts that all hospitals should address,
the example practices and methods may not apply to all
hospital types, sizes, or settings.
✔ Checklist to Improve
Effective Communication,
Cultural Competence, and
Patient- and Family-Centered
Care During Treatment
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Address patient communication needs
during treatment.
Monitor changes in the patient’s
communication status.
Involve patients and families in the care
process.
Tailor the informed consent process to
meet patient needs.
Provide patient education that meets
patient needs.
Address patient mobility needs during
treatment.
Accommodate patient cultural, religious,
or spiritual beliefs and practices.
Monitor changes in dietary needs or
restrictions that may impact the patient’s
care.
Ask the patient to choose a support
person if one is not already identified.
Communicate information about unique
patient needs to the care team.
Recommended Issues and
Related Practice Examples to
Address During Treatment
❑ Address patient communication needs
during treatment.
Communication assistance is needed during treatment to
meet the communication needs previously identified
during admission and assessment. Record this information
in the patient’s medical record so that any documented
communication needs trigger staff to arrange for the
appropriate communication assistance.*
* See Chapter 6: Organization Readiness: Provision of Care, Treatment, and Services (page 40 and 41) for additional information on providing
language services, auxiliary aids, and augmentative and alternative communication resources.
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