* Explain how each of the following can become a potential barrier in health communication:
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* Nationality
* Lifestyle
* Disabilities
* Health Literacy
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Nationality- The barrier that may occur in nationality in health communication is language. If a patient speaks a different language than the medical staff does than how can the medical staff understand the patient when communicating with medical staff. Ex: A lot of times at Johns Hopkins Hospital here in Baltimore, physicians take care of patients from all around the world. Therefore it is important for the medical staff to be able to communicate with patient and the patient’s family.
Lifestyle-The barrier that may occur in nationality in health communication is lifestyle. A patient’s lifestyle may interfere with how a medical staff may tend that patient. For example if a drug addict or prostitute comes in for treatment some medical staff may not want to treat them because of their lifestyle.
Disabilities- When a patient has a mental or physical disability this may be a factor that may inhibit the medical staff to understand them and treat them, because he/she may not comprehend what’s’ going on, or may be able to have the physical aspect to get better. For example of a mental challenge person is brought in to receive care, he/she may not be able to communicate with medical staff, so they would to bring someone in to talk for them.
Health Literacy- When a patient is not educated about their health problems, he/she may `be able to complete their care thoroughly because they did not receive any education about what to do and what not to do. For example if a patient is diagnosis with diabetes he /she should be educated immediately, so that can know how to check their sugar; if not educated they might die.