Question

While working in the medical field you will undoubtedly need to communicate with patients that have roadblocks that might affect their ability to learn.

List at least four examples of factors that affect learning for patients and explain how you, as a medical assistant, would get past these roadblocks for your patients.

Answer 1

Certain ways of verbalization may have an harmful effect on communicating with each other. A negative conversation may trigger the feelings of inadequacy, anger and dependency on the conversation the feelings varies. This further results in lack of self-esteem and also undermines one's motivation. Such barriers in conversation might affect the patient's ability to learn and listen further. When a person find out a perfect solution to diminish the roadblocks, the word roadblocks would never be a factor in the learning process.

EXAMPLES:

1. "You got HIV because you had unprotected sex" ( Criticizing or making a negative evaluation can create a barrier to the communication).

2. In some cases, the patient emotionally explains what happens in their life to the doctor. For example, when the patient explains about them suddenly the doctors may tell,  " Let's talk something that make you more cheerful ". Such break in the conversation can act as a barrier.

3. " Stop using cigarettes, otherwise you end with lung cancer ". Such threatening situation can act as a barrier.

4. " Do not smoke and drink alcohol ". Such ordering situation can act as a barrier.

SOLUTIONS:

In such cases, it is better to remain calm and on the otherside continue to respect and show genuineness.

Spend time with the patient and do not interrupt their conversation while communicating.

Maintain a personal space between the patient and the medical assistant to feel comfortable.

Do not raise your voice or appear to be impatient.

Do not order or threaten the patient. Instead make them to understand their situations to their disease or explain in brief what happens when they continue with their actions ( Smoking).

Make them learn to listen, assert, resolve conflict and solve interpersonal problem more effectively.