Avoiding Difficult Conversations in the Australian Health Sector.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare communication
• Professional development
• Patient safety

Background:

• Avoiding difficult conversations among health professionals can negatively impact patient care.
• Clinical supervisors are key figures, interacting with both trainees and peers, making their perspective crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify reasons why healthcare professionals avoid difficult conversations.
• To gain deeper insight into the general phenomenon of avoiding such discussions.

Main Methods:

• Convergent interviewing was employed.
• 20 clinical supervisors participated in the study.

Main Results:

• Key reasons for avoidance include fear of negative consequences, aversion to confrontation, and low confidence in communication skills.
• Other factors: personality, communication style, time constraints, workplace size, and perceived cultural barriers.

Conclusions:

• Encouraging difficult conversations is vital for reducing adverse events and improving patient outcomes.
• Enhanced training is needed to build confidence and skills for planning and engaging in these conversations.
• The complexity of difficult conversations varies, requiring tailored skill development.