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Communication factors (Nursing Facility)

Communication factors (Nursing Facility)

Description

Determination of which contributing factor(s) related to communication are known.

Communication factors may be related to any spoken or written communication between anyone in a facility, including, but not limited to, providers, staff, patients, and patient families. Ineffective communication is communication that was inaccurate, incomplete, ambiguous, misunderstood by the recipient, or not timely.

On-Screen Instructions

Field Type

Responses


Healthcare Team Member Factors

Across units

Ineffective communication between representatives of different units or departments in a facility contributed to the event.

Includes

  • One or more units within a facility

  • Misinterpreted communication

  • Incomplete, not timely, or inaccurate communication

Excludes

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Among interdisciplinary teams

Ineffective communication among any group of healthcare professionals from diverse fields who work to coordinate the care of a patient/resident in a facility contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Healthcare professionals in different disciplines working within a designated team or service

Excludes

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Between supervisor and staff

Ineffective communication between supervisor and staff in a facility contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Misinterpreted communication

  • Incomplete, not timely, inaccurate communication

Excludes

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Handoffs, handovers or shift reports

Ineffective communication related to handoffs, handovers or shift reports in a facility or between facilities contributed to the event.

Includes

  • All healthcare professionals

  • Misinterpreted communication

  • Incomplete, not timely, or inaccurate communication

  • Transfers of patient/residents from one facility to another (also select “With other organizations or outside providers”)

Excludes

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Hard to read fax or handwriting

Hard to read handwriting or a hard to read fax contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Illegible printing or handwriting

  • Printing too light to read clearly

  • A healthcare professional’s temporary notes to self

Excludes

 

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Within units

Ineffective communication within a unit in a facility contributed to the event.

Includes

Excludes

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With other organizations or outside providers

Ineffective communication with other organizations or outside providers contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Different facility or location within the same healthcare system

Excludes

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Other healthcare team member factors (please describe)

Any other factor related to communication among facility personnel, not included in the list above, which contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Inadequate available information that is not covered by one of the existing factors

Excludes

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Patient/Resident and Family Factors

Culture

Ineffective communication related to cultural differences between facility personnel and the patient/resident or patient/resident’s family contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Failure to recognize cultural prohibitions and preferences

Excludes

  • Language barriers (select “Language”)

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Language

A component of language that impacted the communication between patient/residents and facility personnel contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Spoken language

  • American Sign Language (ASL)

  • Pronunciation or accent

  • Lack of or inappropriate translation services

Excludes

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Miscommunication

Miscommunication between facility personnel and the patient/resident or patient/resident’s family contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Incorrect information regarding condition, medications, etc., provided to or by patient/resident or patient/resident’s family

Excludes

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Patient/resident did not use call light

Patient/resident does not use call light to communicate needs with staff.

Includes

  • Any reason a patient/resident does not use a call light (e.g., patient/resident cannot remember to use call light, patient/resident desire for privacy or independence, patient/resident does not want to bother staff)

Excludes

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Patient/resident unable to communicate

Patient/resident’s physical inability to communicate contributed to the event.

Includes

  • Patient/resident nonverbal

  • Patient/resident unable to communicate due to clinical condition

Excludes

  • Patient/resident provides incorrect information or fails to disclose information to care team (select “Miscommunication”)

  • Patient/resident is difficult to understand (select “Miscommunication”)

  • Patient/resident has language barrier (select “Language”)

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Other patient/resident and family factors (please describe)

Any other factor related to communication between facility staff or providers and the patient/resident or patient/resident's family not included in the list above, which contributed to the event.

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Guide for Use

History

Start Date

2006

End Date

n/a

Change History

Spring 2012: PSRP Implementation

January 2016: added “patient/resident did not use call light” and “patient/resident unable to communicate”

Field Name

cf_comm_f