Principles of communication

Principles of communication Communication is the foundation of an effective doctor-patient relationship. It works both ways i.e. it has advantages for both the patient as well as the doctor. Good communication is the key to building trust, patient compliance to the prescribed treatment, patient satisfaction including better clinical outcomes. A good communicator is also a great motivator. Poor communication has been attributed as a major contributor to litigations against doctors. Hence, good communication skills are therefore very important for the doctor. There are certain principles of communication that should be followed for effective outcomes. • Know your target audience. Your audience is made up of diverse group of people, with different cultural backgrounds and health literacy levels. Assess their level of awareness of your audience and tailor your message accordingly. If the level of awareness is low, talk to them at their level and gradually build up the level of your message. Do this even if this is the case with even one member of the audience so that all get the benefit of your message and nobody feels left out. Remember, “One size fits all” messages don’t work always. • Decide your agenda. You must know what message you want to give. The health information should be field tested and should not create any panic or fear in the society. Communication should be concise and focused. • Use multiple channels of communication. Decide how you want to deliver the message. There are several channels of communication. Print – newspapers, posters, press releases etc. Audiovideo – radio/TV interviews, press conferences etc. or internet – email, social media, SMS. • Message should be evidence-based. Your message should be fact-based or evidence-based and not based on opinions or myths. Higher the level of evidence, lesser the chances of your message being contradicted or refuted. While giving a health statement, quote a credible source of information such as meta-analysis, randomized-controlled studies and reviews published in credible journals. • Strike while the iron is still hot. Timing is of great importance in effective communication for desired outcomes. • Follow the cycle of Teach, Reason, Summarize and Revise. Pre and post evaluation of the audience is important. Always revise at the end to find out what is understood. • Word of mouth communication. Involve “community leaders” or “celebrities” people who count in the community, who are considered reliable by the people, who people look up to as role models.

Over 75 patients get a new lease to life due to the efforts of Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) & its partner hospital Medanta

Over 75 patients get a new lease to life due to the efforts of Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) & its partner hospital Medanta – the Medicity

A flagship project of HCFI, the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund works on the belief that no person deserves to die of heart disease just because they cannot afford treatment Any heart patient irrespective of their age, gender or religion can apply for technical and financial assistance by the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation by calling +919958771177 New Delhi, June 3rd, 2016 – Sadhika (name changed), a five-year-old girl was born with a hole in a heart. The daughter of a daily wage laborer, her chances of survival were grim because her family could not even in their dreams think of funding a corrective surgery that cost a few lakhs. While working one evening, her father saw a flyer about the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund, an initiative by HCFI aimed at providing technical and financial patients to heart patients. He brought her to their weekly OPD on Tuesdays and she was sanctioned a letter for surgery at Medanta – the Medicity. Sadhika was treated by a team of experts and is now living a healthy and disease free life. Like Sadhika, the team at Medanta has successfully operated upon over 63 children and 12 adults in the past year. In total through the efforts of HCFI, over 500 lives have been saved through this project in the past two years. The other partner hospital includes The National Heart Institute. Research indicates that in the National Capital of India itself 19 patients die directly due to heart disease everyday. Several of the heart conditions are curable and death is preventable; however, not everyone can afford the treatment and hospital costs. Women and young girls are also subject to discrimination when it comes to treatment given the high costs of surgery. It is for this reason that HCFI & Medanta – the Medicity together flagged off the ‘Save the girl child’ campaign in Haryana last year. Over 50% of the lives saved have been those of girl children. Speaking about the same, Padma Shri Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal – President HCFI said, “We at Heart Care Foundation of India are committed to providing assistance and effective solutions to the growing medical problems in the country. As a part of this endeavor, we launched the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund two years ago. We are extremely happy to say that till now we have helped almost 500 people. We are extremely thankful to partners such as Dr Naresh Trehan who at minimal costs agreed to have all our patients with congenital and valvular heart disease operated at a pioneering hospital such as Medanta – The Medicity. Any heart patient can apply for the benefits of the fund by calling our helpline number +919958771177". The helpline number +919958771177 for the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund is open from Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Individuals who wish to apply online can download the application form from the website, http://heartcarefoundationfund.heartcarefoundation.org/. An expert committee comprising of notable individuals would assess all applications received by the fund. Once sanctioned, the funds would be directly deposited in the bank account of the medical establishments treating the patient.