Communication in Health Care

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Class
PTHA 1225

Communication theories and principles for optimal delivery of health care. Sixteen lecture hours and forty-eight lab hours per semester.

Professional Behavior

Professional behavior is absolutely essential both while the individual is a student in this program as well as after graduation.  The Professional Behaviors Assessment form provides a standard for behavior and a mechanism for self-assessment by the student as well as assessment by faculty during the academic component of the program.  If a faculty member observes consistent failure to demonstrate acceptable professional behavior by a student, the faculty member will utilize the assessment form as a tool for counseling the student.  Failure to respond appropriately to counseling regarding professional behaviors will result in dismissal from the program.

 

Course Learning Objectives
  1. Communicate appropriately and effectively with other members of the health care team utilizing the medical record. (F1, F2, F11, C5, C6, C7, C8)
    1.  Identify information from the medical record that is pertinent to physical therapy.
    2.  Identify patient status, problems, treatment goals and treatment plans from the physical therapist's initial evaluation.
    3.  Identify pertinent updated information from the physical therapy progress notes.
    4.  Identify other forms/entries used to document patient care.
    5. Describe the medical record's relationship to quality assurance/performance       improvement in general and patient care audits specifically.
    6. Describe the relationship between proper documentation and third-party reimbursement.
    7.  Identify legal ramifications of the medical record.
  2. Produce accurate, well-organized progress notes (F1, F2, F11, C5, C6, C7, C8):
    1.  Write legibly.
    2.  Use correct spelling and proper grammar.
    3.  Use appropriate terminology, abbreviations, and formats.
    4.  Describe the content categories of medical documentation
    5.  Sort information into the correct category.
    6.  Identify pertinent information for inclusion in a progress note.
    7. Organize pertinent information in a concise, logical manner and write appropriate progress notes.
  3. Communicate appropriately and effectively both verbally and non-verbally. (F1, F5,, F6, F11, C5, C6, C7)
    1.  Identify the necessary adjustments in volume and vocabulary for effective communication with patients and their significant others as well as other health care professionals.
    2. Organize information for verbal presentation in a concise, logical manner and at a level appropriate to audience abilities.
    3.  Identify the components of non-verbal communication.
    4. Identify the magnitude of non-verbal communication's impact upon the therapeutic relationship.
    5.  Identify the appropriate levels of listening for health care professionals.
    6.  Describe and demonstrate active listening skills.
    7.  Identify blocks to communication.
  4. Interact effectively and therapeutically with patients and their significant others. (F1, F5, F6, F11, F14, F15, F16, F17, C5, C6, C7, C10, C11, C14)
    1. Identify concepts related to the practitioner's sense of self-awareness and well-being that impact the patient-practitioner relationship.
    2. Identify and differentiate constructive versus detrimental dependence in the patient-practitioner relationship.
    3. Identify and describe physiological, psychological and socioeconomic aspects of generation and age that impact the provision of physical therapy.
    4.  Identify and describe methods to enhance relating to various patient categories.
    5.  Identify and describe methods to enhance patient education.
    6.  Identify effective methods of managing emotionally laden interactions.
    7. Identify the process of grieving and its impact on the patient-practitioner relationship. (F1, F5, F6, F11, F15, F16, F17, C5, C7 C14)
    8. Identify and describe the five stages of grief and their components.
    9. Identify methods of relating effectively to patients in each stage of grief.
  5.  Identify past, present and future trends in the sociological context of death and dying.

Teaching Methods and Learning Experiences

Lectures, laboratory activities, reading assignments, individual and/or group projects and assignments.  Some components of this course will be computer based.  Student access to a computer/printer will be required for completing assignments. Computers are available to students in the Academic Support Center in the Mineral Wells Education Center.

Required Textbooks

Documentation Basics; 2nd Edition; Erickson & McKnight; Slack, Inc.  2012             

Course Packet: PTHA 1225 Course Packet (available in Canvas classroom)

Evaluation Standards

Grade Compilation

Assignments / Lab   10%

Unit Tests                 65%

Final Exam               25%

Grading Scale

A

90-100%

B

80-89%

C

75-79%

F

<75%

Failed Lab Practical and Skills Check offs

Lab practical examinations and/or skills check-offs will be given to assess the student’s proficiency in laboratory skills taught.   ALL lab skill check-off assessments and Lab Practical examinations must be successfully completed and passed.  When lab skill check-offs are assigned prior to a lab practical examination, failure to complete ANY of the laboratory skills check offs will result in the inability to sit for the lab practical, resulting in a grade of zero. Students are required to pass all lab practical examinations and skills check offs with a minimum of 75% in order to pass the class. The student will be given 3 opportunities to correct a failed lab practical exam (LPE) and/or check-offs with grade deductions for each attempt.  In the event that the student does not pass a LPE or a check off, the student will fail the lab portion of the class, and fail the course and will not be allowed to continue in the PTA program.  Both the lab and lecture portions of each class must be passed with a 75% for the student to receive a passing grade in the class.  The grade deductions are noted in the course syllabus and on the LPE and check-off forms.

FAILURE OF AN EXAM

If a student makes below a passing grade on an exam (makes a grade below 75%) they are required to seek counseling and remediation from the instructor for the course.  It is the students’ responsibility to seek out the instructor promptly for this counseling and remediation during the instructors posted office hours by appointment.  If the student fails to contact the instructor within an appropriate time to get remediation prior to the next examination, they are outside the department policy and are subject to disciplinary action.  The instructor and student will develop a plan for the student to show competency in knowledge of the material. 

If the student fails to show competency in the subject matter, or fails to maintain an overall average above 75% on major exams, the student will not be allowed to pass the class, continue onto other coursework, or continue to clinical rotations.  Major exams are defined as the all unit exams and include the final exam.  They do not include quizzes, assignments, or daily coursework.  All lab Practical exams and check offs must be successfully passed with a 75 or above in order to continue with the program.  See the failed lab practical policy above. 

For the student who scores below a 75% on a major exam, remediation and reassessment of knowledge must be done.  The instructor may employ various methods to determine and reassess the competency and may require a student to retest.  However, a student who makes below a 65% on a major exam, must re-test for competency. The student can bring their exam score up to a maximum of a 75% one time only, on the first failed test making a grade below a 65%.  If the grade on the re-test is lower than the first attempt, the lower grade will be used in recording and calculation the exam and overall course average. Additional counseling and remediation will be necessary to ensure competency in that material. Students must make a minimum overall score of 75% and a minimum average of 75% on major exams to pass all PTHA classes and continue in the program. If a student academically fails out of the program they have a right to appeal by following the Health Science Technology Appeals procedure located in the PTA Program Student handbook. The student has the opportunity to re-apply to the program.  See the Readmission policy for more information. 

ACADEMIC DISMISSAL

Students in the PTA Program must successfully complete all general education courses with at least a “C” to continue in the PTA program. If a student makes below a 75% in any PTHA course, they will not be allowed to continue in the program and will be academically dismissed.  Additionally, you must maintain a passing average of 75% of major exams, and pass all check offs and lab practical exams in each course to be able to show competency and continue in the program. Major exams are defined as unit tests and includes the final exam.  Bonus points or extra credit points will only be awarded after competency is met.  If a student does not meet the competency guidelines bonus points will not be applied. See the Bonus Point/Extra Credit Policy in the PTA Program Handbook.

Students must also complete each clinical course with at least a “C” or 75% grade (see Clinical Failure policy).  If these standards are not met, dismissal from the program will occur.

If the student fails a class, the student’s progression in the program will be halted. The student is then subject to the same readmission criteria as students who withdraw from the program.

Acceptance of Late Assignments

Projects or outside assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date.  Late papers will receive a 5% per day grade penalty.  This penalty will continue to be assessed each day the assignment is not turned in.

Missing an Exam

Exams are defined as formally scheduled examinations covering a major portion of the course content and cumulatively comprising a relatively large percentage of the overall grade for a course.  Every effort should be made by the student to be present for all exams.  If it is necessary for a student to miss an exam, the instructor must be notified prior to the scheduled exam time and arrangements must be made for make-up.  It is the instructor’s option to give the same exam as the one missed or a different exam over the same content.  If arrangements to make up the exam are not made within one class day, a 5% per day penalty will be assessed each day the exam is not taken.

Quizzes

Any quizzes given, whether scheduled or given unannounced, may not be rescheduled if missed.  A zero will be the grade recorded for a missed quiz.  All quizzes will be averaged together to obtain a percentage of the final class grade.  Any exceptions to this policy will be announced in class.

SOAP NOTES and ASSIGNMENTS

A SOAP note rubric is available to determine grades. Additional deductions are as follows:

  • failure of signature/designation and date on a SOAP note (-5 points)
  • stating “patient tolerated treatment well” on a SOAP note (-5 points)
  • failure to follow instructions (-15 points)
  • failure to state assignment # or topic (-10 points)

Instructor may choose additional deductions as deemed necessary.

Disclaimer:

The instructor reserves the right to make modifications in content and schedule as necessary to promote the best education possible within prevailing conditions affecting this course.

Course Progression

In order to receive credit for this course, all students must:

1.  Complete all outside assignments.

3.  Complete all unit exams.

4.  Complete the final exam.

Absences

Regular attendance in lecture and lab is critical and has a direct effect on the final grade that a student earns in class. Non-attendance on the part of a student may result in grade penalty or may lead to dismissal from the program.

A student should attend all lecture and laboratory sessions. Good "working" habits would mean arriving 10 - 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time of the class, staying for the complete session and returning from breaks promptly.  Habitual or patterned absenteeism in lecture or lab will not be tolerated. Absences in laboratory sessions are particularly problematic because of the lost opportunity to practice skills for them self, and for their lab partner; therefore, students are responsible for arranging to acquire any skills missed during a laboratory absence. Note, not all lab experiences can be made up.

All absences must be reported to the appropriate faculty member prior to the start of class. Try to reach the faculty member by phone at their office phone number. If the faculty member cannot be reached directly, a voice mail message may be left the day of the absence. Email notification is not acceptable and should only be used if phone systems are not available. Contacting a classmate to have him/her notify the faculty member is not acceptable. Failure to notify the faculty prior to class for any absence will result in anautomatic deduction of 2 points from the student’s final grade for each episode.

The student may be allowed to miss 2 class/lab days without it adversely affecting their grade (exception: exam days, lab practical or check off days) if proper notification has been made. Every absence over the allotted 2 days will result in the student’s final course grade being reduced by 2 points each absence. If the student misses more than 30 minutes of class due to being tardy or leaving early, it will constitute an absence. Three tardies, regardless of how late the student is, count as 1 day absence. 

If it is necessary for a student to miss an exam, the instructor must be notified prior to the scheduled exam time and arrangements must be made for make-up. It is the instructor’s option to give the same exam as the one missed or a different exam over the same content. It is the students’ responsibility to make arrangements to make up the exam. A 5% penalty will be assessed for taking an exam out of the scheduled time. An additional 5% penalty will be assessed for each day the exam has not been made up. See missing an Exam/Test/Quiz in the PTA Program Handbook for more information.

Program Learning Outcomes

Describe the theories and principles of effective communication; apply effective communication skills.

Disabilities

ADA Statement:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) may contact the Office on the Weatherford College Weatherford Campus to request reasonable accommodations. Phone: 817-598-6350 Office Location: Office Number 118 in the Student Services Building, upper floor. Physical Address: Weatherford College 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX.

Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is fundamental to the educational mission of Weatherford College, and the College expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials including unauthorized use of Generative AI. Departments may adopt discipline specific guidelines on Generative AI usage approved by the instructional dean. Any student who is demonstrated to have engaged in any of these activities will be subject to immediate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional procedures.
Hope Statement
Any student who faces challenges securing basic resources such as food, clothing, or housing and believes this may affect their performance in their course of study is urged to contact the Director of Student Resources, Dr. Deborah Cregger, for support at (817) 598-6444. Her office is on the first floor of Student Services. If the student prefers, they may contact their instructor, who can reach out on their behalf. Weatherford College also provides the Coyote Pantry. The Pantry maintains boxed and canned foods for students in need. The location of the Coyote Pantry is two blocks west of the Weatherford campus at the Baptist Student Ministry (118 E. Park Ave., Weatherford). Pantry hours are Mon-Thurs. 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Fri. 8.30 am-12:00 pm (817-599-6586).
SCANS

The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified Competencies in the area of Resources, Interpersonal, Information, Systems, and Technology; and foundation skills in the areas of Basic Skills, Thinking Skills, and Personal Qualities. This course is part of a program in which each of these Competencies and skills are integrated. The specific SCANS Competencies that are recognized throughout this course are noted at the end of the appropriate competencies or task listed.                   (See reference chart at end of syllabus.)

  1. DOCUMENTATION
    1. The Medical Record
    2. Reasons for Documenting
    3. PT Documentation
    4. Principles of Good Documentation
    5. Progress Notes
    6. Special Considerations for Medicare Documentation
    7. Top 14 Reasons for Denial of Reimbursement
    8. Do’s and Don’t’s
  2. QUALITY ASSURANCE / PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
    1. Introduction
    2. Patient Care Audit
  3. COMMUNICATION
    1. Introduction
    2. Verbal Communication
    3. Emotion-Laden Communication
    4. DESC for Assertive Communication
    5. Non-Verbal Communication
    6. Practical Suggestions
  4. PATIENT/PRACTITIONER INTERACTION
    1. Introduction
    2. Focus on the Clinician
    3. Focus on the Patient
    4. The Relationship
  5. GENERATIONAL ISSUES
    1. Introduction
    2. Characteristics and Differences
    3. Sources of Generational Discord
    4. Application in the Clinic
  6. RELATING TO PATIENTS OF ALL AGES
    1. Family-centered Care
    2. Relating to Various Age Groups
  7. GRIEF
    1. Introduction
    2. Normal Reactions to Loss
    3. Coping
    4. Definitions
    5. Psychological Responses – the Stages of Grief
    6. The Ultimate Loss – Death
    7. Practitioner's Psychological Responses
    8. Some Do’s and Don’ts

VIII. PATIENT EDUCATION

    1. Introduction
    2. Health Behavior Theories
    3. Health Literacy
    4. Considering Health Behavior and Health Literacy, How Can We Best Educate Our Patients?

SCANS COMPETENCIES

Foundation Skills

Workplace Competencies

Basic Skills: Reads, writes, performs arithmetic & mathematical operations, listens, and speaks

Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans & allocates resources

 

F1

Reading: Locates, understand, & interprets written information in prose & in documents such as manuals, graphs, & schedules

C1

Time & Selects goal-relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, & prepares & follows schedules

F2

Writing: Communicates thoughts, ideas, information, & messages in writing; & creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, & flow charts

C2

Money & Uses or prepares budgets, makes forecasts, keeps records, & makes adjustments to meet objectives

F3

Arithmetic: Performs basic computations ; uses basic numerical concepts such as whole numbers, etc.

C3

Material & Facilities & Acquires, stores, allocates, & uses materials or space efficiently

F4

Mathematics: Approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques

C4

Human Resources & Assesses skills & distributes work accordingly, evaluates performance & provides feedback

F5

Listening: Receives, attends to, interprets, & responds to verbal messages & other cues

Information: Acquires & uses information

F6

Speaking: Organizes ideas & communicates orally

C5

Acquires & evaluates information

Thinking Skills: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, & reasons

C6

Organizes & maintains information

F7

Creative Thinking: Generates new ideas

C7

Interprets & communicates information

F8

Decision Making: Specifies goals & constraints, generates alternatives, considers risks, & evaluates & chooses best alternative

C8

Uses computers to process information

F9

Problem Solving: Recognizes problems & devises & implements plan of action

Interpersonal: Works with others

F10

Seeing Things in the Mind’s Eye: Organizes, & processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects & other information

C9

Participates as a Member of a Team: Contributes to group effort

F11

Knowing How to Learn: Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire & apply new knowledge & skills

C10

Teaches others new skills

F12

Reasoning: Discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects & applies it when solving a problem

C11

Serves Clients/Customers: Works to satisfy customers’ expectations

Personal Qualities: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, & honesty

C12

Exercises Leadership: Communicates ideas to justify position, persuades & convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures & policies

F13

Responsibility: Exerts a high level of effort & perseveres towards goal attainment

C13

Negotiates: Works toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolves divergent interests

F14

Self-Esteem: Believes in own self-worth & maintains a positive view of self

C14

Works with Diversity: Works well with men & women from diverse backgrounds

F15

Sociability: Demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, & politeness in group settings

Systems: Understand complex interrelationships

F16

Self-Management: Assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, & exhibits self-control

C15

Understands Systems: Knows how social, organizational, & technological systems work & operates effectively with them

F17

Integrity/Honesty: Chooses ethical courses of action

C16

Monitors & Corrects Performance: Distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses systems’ performance & corrects malfunctions

 

 

C17

Improves or Designs Systems: Suggests modifications to existing systems & develops new or alternative systems to improve performance

 

 

Technology: Works with a variety of technologies

 

 

C18

Selects Technology: Chooses procedures, tools or equipment including computers & related technologies

 

 

C19

Applies Technology to Task: Understands overall intent & proper procedures for setup & operation of equipment

 

 

C20

Maintains & Troubleshoots Equipment: Prevents, identifies, or solves problems with equipment, including computers & other technologies.