Communication in health care teams

An essential characteristic of health care facilities is teamwork, and this implies an organizational philosophy where collective talent, with common goals in clearly identified directions, allows to obtain better results. Communication is at the core of this model, understood as an interaction process, not just an activity aimed at conveying information. Medical errors and conflict in the institutional setting are usually caused by failures in effective communication. Like in other areas of health, communicational aspects of teamwork advance with learning. The acquisition of such competences, the development of active listening, and an interaction among disciplines favor professional training and patient safety. Actually, together with other factors, these aspects necessary for communication underscore the quality of health care.