How to Communicate with Patients

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Allied Health Assisting

  CIP: 0317029903

  Short Program: 8417130

  Type: CAR-PREP - High School Career Preparatory Program

  Career Cluster: Health Science

  CTE-HLTH.912.8417110.2.6 Discuss the importance of courtesy and respect for patients and other healthcare workers and maintain good interpersonal relationships.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Lost Wallet, Lost Mind.” See CPALMS resource ID# 215761.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Communication-It is essential for healthcare professionals to communicate effectively and respectfully in order to make decisions that better serve the needs of a patient.

  Organization- healthcare professionals should exercise their knowledge in order to decide what procedure should be completed first when there is a schedule conflict.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Discuss communication skills and find strategies to implement them.
  • Use their knowledge in resources and scheduling to better serve the patient.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should know/be familar with:

  • An EKG
  • Stress Test
  • Lab Technician responsibilities
  • Medical Assistant responsibilities
  • Sonographer responsibilities

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How can health care professionals communicate respectfully and effectively with patients and one another?
  • Is it possible for the health care team to contact home and verify if a family member took the item home?
  • If a patient loses a personal item, is it necessary to notify security?
  • How should the schedule conflict in the case study be addressed?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, review concepts for prior knowledge. Begin a discussion by presenting the following question: Why is it important to be respectful and courteous with patients?
  2. Explain the concept of empathy and discuss that patients are usually concerned about their health and often in pain. Remind students that patients, besides medical attention, need comfort, reassurance and empathy.
  3. Divide the class in small groups of 3-4 students and pass out the case study, "Lost Wallet, Lost Mind" (see CPALMS ID 215761) and the attached Lost Wallet Discussion Questions.
  4. Discuss the basic/background information. Have the students read the case study alone or in their groups, suggest they take notes while reading. After students have read the case study, give groups time to discuss the handout questions and write their answers.
  5. Each group of students should discuss the situation and provide a solution that addresses procedures, resources that could resolve the conflict, strategies to communicate with the patient and among themselves and how to prioritize exams when a conflict arises. Once they have come up with their best solutions, they should provide evidence to support each step taken.
  6. Have students discuss the possbile steps to take in order to assure the patient receives both medical attention and personal assitance to address any concerns.
     • Students can then begin a discussion of the medical procedures the patient needs. Each procedure needs to be described to decide what to do first. Students should consider how long does each one takes and whether or not the lab/technician should be notified.
  7. Each group can then present their solution, they should provide evidence of each step. This includes the different actions the patient could take, the order of exams needed, teamwork strategies and solutions.
  8. Students will present this information orally in an open discussion using the guiding questions, doing so with a logical and coherent focus. Disucssions should include how to prioritize, schedule and the alternatives they could offer the patient in order to provide the best medical care as well as to address all concerns.
  9. To close the lesson, review the procedures and resources that the medical team has available to better assist a patient. Those should include scheduling systems, communicating with colleagues and who to contact in case of needing to decide what procedure precedes or details regarding length or urgency.
  10. As an exit ticket, students will choose a perspective (character) from this scenario and write a reflection about their experience. This reflection should include what happened, how they felt at the moment of confusion, how it was solved and how important it was for it to be solved effectively and addressing all concerns.

• Teacher Notes

  
  

  This scenario could be altered by providing different pieces of information to each group.