Credits Hours: 1.00

Course Description:
The fear that results from a sudden illness or injury makes it difficult for even the most articulate patient to communicate well. Or there may be a chemical or organic cause that inhibits communication with the patient. The EMS professional must determine the underlying causes of communication difficulties and when possible, help the patient "tell his own story." This course provides information regarding what is known about how humans communicate, especially in the stressful setting of a medical emergency. It also provides information on overcoming barriers to communication that are encountered by the EMS professional.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify the two main goals of patient communication: the goal for the EMS professional and the goal for the patient.
• Identify the process of creating effective communication between an EMS professional and his patient (when time permits).
• Identify how time, setting, gender differences, age differences, special needs, language, and speaking skills can create barriers to effective communication and what to do about these barriers.
• Identify a strategy for effectively communicating with a patient in a simulated patient encounter that incorporates the communication techniques described in this course.