• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

AMA gives guidelines for improved patient communication

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch, June 27, 2006

The American Medical Association (AMA) has released a report offering guidelines and measurable expectations for healthcare organizations to improve communications with patients of diverse backgrounds. Representatives from the AMA said communication breakdowns are the most common root cause of healthcare errors that harm patients, and the report highlights the importance of effective communications when providing high-quality, ethical healthcare.

The report, "Improving Communication-Improved Care," focuses on patient populations that have a high risk of facing communication gaps in healthcare, including patients who have little or no English proficiency, are from cultures that are not familiar to healthcare personnel, and have limited health literacy skills, according to the AMA release.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive