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Show: October 14, 2012:
- How do different subtypes of breast cancer affect treatment?
- Can cute images boost your brain power?
- What creates communication barriers between caregivers and health care providers?
- How can bacteria aid in weight loss?
- What has changed at the IUSM Student Outreach Clinic since its inception in 2009?
- Can our complex healthcare system be boiled down to a 200-page paperback?
- View all topics for the week
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What creates communication barriers between caregivers and health care providers?
Host: Barbara Lewis
Interview: Alexia Torke, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine, Indiana University; Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
Primary Care segments are presentedby IU Health Physicians.
Communication between health care professionals and surrogate caregivers for older adults who cannot make decisions for themselves is often fragmented, says Alexia Torke, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and a scientist at Regenstrief Institute. Dr. Torke studied the breakdown in communication between these groups and found that it comes from the surrogates’ physical presence when clinicians make rounds, an absence of a point person who is charged to communicate with the family caregivers, the lack of relationships between caregivers and providers, and the fast-paced hospital environment. She also provides tips for caregivers and providers to improve communication in this setting. Since caregivers want daily updates, from any member of the interdisciplinary team, Torke also suggests that daily communication be built into the structure of the hospital care team.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about Dr.Torke’s study of the relationship between surrogate caregivers and clinicians here.
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