Communication Tactics and Compliance Challenges, Essay Example

Radiographers have the potential to encounter agitated or uncooperative patients. This is an unfortunate challenge because for patients to receive the appropriate medical testing. Ultimately, it is necessary for radiographers to engage in effective communication to ensure that their patients are able to understand what needs to be done to ensure that the medical testing is conducted properly. While it is essential for these professionals to be able to describe to their patients how to stand and breathe during this testing, it is also important for them to have an understanding of social skills that will allow them to work uncooperative patients.

Communication problems are especially prevalent when radiographers are working with pediatric patients. Often, parents are highly concerned about the health of their children which may result in their attempt to control the situation. This is detrimental to the patient’s health because it is important for the radiographer to hear an account of the patient’s health from the child, and parents often get in the way of the ability for this interaction to occur. To alleviate this, the radiographer could take control of this situation by asking yes/no questions to the patient and limiting eye contact with the parent.

One of the major compliance challenges that radiographers encounter is when patients are simply unable to understand how they must conduct themselves while the test is being administered. Some medical equipment is extremely sensitive to sudden motions and many patients don’t understand how still they have to remain while they are being scanned. To prevent some of these issues, it is important for the radiographer to begin the testing session by explaining the importance of saying still and to occasionally remind the patient of this while the imaging is being conducted. Most patients want to comply but do not know how to do this fully, so it is the job of the radiographer to remind them of this. Furthermore, it is import for the radiographer to remind the patient that the scan will take longer if certain sections need to be repeated so that they understand that it is in their best interest to comply with the provided rules and regulations.

Another compliance challenge is encountered when radiographers need to complete a CT scan. Many people are worried about receiving this type of diagnostic exam because it is hard for them to stay still for the machine to get a good reading. This process is also worrisome on the behalf of the radiographer, because it is important for them to be sure that the patient is not wearing any metal and understand the procedure. To alleviate the stresses of both the patient and the radiographer, it is therefore helpful to provide the patient with a thorough understanding of the expectations for the procedure in addition to knowledge of when the results will be evaluated (Peters, 1995). This interview should conclude by ensuring that the patient is not wearing any belts, jewelry, etc. that would interfere with the safety of operating this machine.

Often, for tests like x-rays, it is challenging to explain to the patient how they should pose and how long they should pose for while the test is underway (Glasser, 1993). While it is important to describe the stances, it is also helpful for the radiographer to mimic them to show the patient how to perform them correctly. Doing so prior to the beginning of the test allows the patient to feel more knowledgeable about the particular test that they are undergoing and decreases the likelihood that they will repeatedly engage in the incorrect behavior during the test. This is beneficial for both the patient and the practice because it increases the likelihood that the generated results will be usable and this will decrease the total amount of time that a single radiographer needs to spend with a patient, indicating that a larger number of individuals will be able to be seen.

In conclusion, it is beneficial for a radiographer to introduce the tests to patients before they are begun so that the patients have a greater understanding of what is expected from them. This reduces risk of non-compliance, which contributes to more meaningful results and minimizes the time that the patient is required to spend in the health care facility.

References

Glasser, Otto (1993). Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the early history of the roentgen rays. Norman Publishing.

Peters, Peter. (1995). W. C. Roentgen and the discovery of x-rays. Textbook of Radiology. GE Healthcare.