Communication Practices Research Articles

Evaluating surgeon communication of pancreatic cancer prognosis using the VitalTalk ADAPT framework.

Few data exist to guide optimal communication practices for surgical oncologists. VitalTalk, an evidence-based communication skills training model for clinicians, offers the five-step ADAPT tool for discussing prognosis. This study aimed to characterize surgeon communication of pancreatic cancer prognosis using VitalTalk's ADAPT framework. Contemporaneous audio recordings from 12 initial surgeon-patient encounters for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer were transcribed. Directed qualitative content analysis based on ADAPT (Ask, Discover, Anticipate, Provide, and Track) was used to deductively code transcripts. All encounters contained at least one ADAPT step while only one (8%) incorporated four or five steps. Surgeons provided prognostic information (Provide) in all but one encounter (92%); most was qualitative and clustered into themes: serious illness, surgical candidacy, prognostic ambiguity, and cancer recurrence. Surgeons elicited understanding (Ask), requested information preferences (Discover), anticipated ambivalence (Anticipate), and responded to emotion (Track) in a minority of encounters (25%-42%); of 15 patient emotional cues, six were not addressed by surgeons. During an initial encounter for pancreatic cancer, surgeons focus heavily on providing information but omit critical prognostic communication steps. Future studies are needed to investigate if surgeon training in palliative care-based communicationis feasible and impacts patient-perceived quality of communication.

A Review-Based Study on the Importance of Doctor-Patient Communication in Healthcare

Effective doctor-patient communication is crucial for delivering quality healthcare, as it directly influences patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, and the incidence of medical errors. This review critically analyzes secondary data from various studies, surveys, and meta-analyses to examine the impact of communication on health outcomes, particularly focusing on vulnerable populations such as those with language barriers and low health literacy. The findings reveal that effective communication enhances patient satisfaction, improves adherence to treatment plans, and reduces medical errors, while poor communication leads to adverse health outcomes, including non-compliance and misdiagnosis. Additionally, improving communication practices lowers malpractice claims and mitigates physician burnout. These insights emphasize the need for targeted interventions to overcome communication barriers and foster equitable healthcare delivery.

의사결정 참여가 조직 내 의사소통에 미치는 영향 - 조직목표 명확성의 조절효과

This study investigates the impact of decision-making participation on communication within public organizations, with a particular focus on how the clarity of organizational goals moderates this relationship. Using data from the 2022 Public Service Life Survey conducted by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, the research examines communication practices among public officials in central and local administrative agencies. The findings reveal that participation in decision-making is a key factor that positively influences communication across multiple levels within public organizations. Specifically, it enhances interdepartmental communication, vertical communication between different hierarchical levels, and horizontal communication among colleagues. Additionally, the clarity of organizational goals emerges as a significant contributor to improved communication, particularly between departments and among peers. However, its influence on vertical communication is less pronounced. Furthermore, the study highlights that the clarity of organizational goals strengthens the positive effect of decision-making participation on overall communication within the organization. This moderating effect is especially evident in enhancing both interdepartmental and vertical communication, although it has a limited impact on horizontal communication. These insights underscore the importance of fostering participation in decision-making and ensuring clear organizational goals to facilitate effective communication within public organizations.

Translation and Validation of the Korean Version of the Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale: A Study of the Psychometric Properties among Korean Nurses

Purpose: This study aimed to validate the Korean version of the Global Interprofessional Therapeutic Communication Scale (K-GITCS), with the ultimate goal of improving therapeutic communication and patient engagement among Korean nurses.Methods: The study rigorously adhered to the original authors’ translation guidelines. A sample of 300 registered nurses from a tertiary hospital in South Korea participated in this research. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify the tool’s validity, and Cronbach’s ⍺ coefficients were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency of the K-GITCS.Results: The instrument’s reliability was substantiated by an adequate comparative fit index (0.984) and a high Cronbach’s ⍺ coefficient (0.94). The empirical results supported the three-factor structure of the K-GITCS, which comprised trust and rapport building, power sharing, and empathy.Conclusion: The study confirms that the K-GITCS is a valid, reliable, and culturally sensitive instrument for assessing therapeutic communication skills among nurses in Korea. It also highlights the importance of culturally tailored therapeutic communication training, particularly for promoting empathy in patient care. The study emphasizes the potential of the K-GITCS to significantly enhance nurses’ therapeutic communication practices, thereby improving the quality and safety of patient care. It is recommended to apply this tool among nursing students, academic institutions, and interprofessional healthcare providers to facilitate structured educational interventions that will improve therapeutic communication.

Towards Effective People Management in Software Projects: A Comprehensive Catalog of Good Practices

Software project success depends on effective people management; however, managers often rely on intuition rather than evidence-based practice. To bridge this gap, we compiled a catalog of good practices to assist managers in implementing people management practices, reducing resistance, and simultaneously collecting indicators that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of practices. We compiled the practices outlined in the literature from 63 selected studies conducted from 2016 to 2023. These studies were then categorized into 9 problem domains and 16 associated practices. Subsequently, through a survey, these practices were validated by 31 professionals, enabling classification based on overall relevance and problem-resolution efficacy. The results underscore the importance of interpersonal skills (soft skills) over technical abilities (hard skills) and highlight the significance of continuous feedback, open communication, and transparent management practices. This catalog is a valuable resource for managers to assess and customize practices for their specific project needs.

Optimization of business processes: commercialization of ideas, taxation, business ethics

Introduction. This paper explores the critical role of entrepreneurship in Ukraine's economy, particularly under the strain of ongoing military conflicts and the vulnerability of micro and small enterprises. The purpose of the paper is to thoroughly investigate the current challenges facing micro and small businesses in Ukraine, with a specific focus on optimizing entrepreneurial processes to withstand economic instability. The study seeks to develop a comprehensive framework that incorporates effective business strategies, ethical communication practices, and a streamlined taxation system to enhance the operational efficiency and profitability of these enterprises. By addressing these key aspects, the paper intends to contribute valuable insights into the stabilization and growth of businesses during times of crisis. Results. The research highlights several innovative findings crucial for the sustainability and competitiveness of micro and small businesses in Ukraine. First, the study identifies the necessity of continuous process optimization, including the elimination of inefficiencies and the enhancement of team collaboration. It emphasizes the importance of strategic business communications tailored to the needs and expectations of specific target audiences, ensuring clarity and engagement. The paper also explores the integration of ethical practices in business operations, advocating for transparency and honesty in dealings with clients and regulatory bodies. Furthermore, the analysis underlines the significant impact of a reformed taxation framework that supports business growth while ensuring compliance with legal standards. These findings underscore the interconnectedness of these factors and their collective impact on business resilience and market positioning. Conclusion. The study concludes that a multifaceted approach encompassing process optimization, ethical business practices, and strategic tax planning is essential for the survival and growth of micro and small enterprises in Ukraine's challenging economic landscape.

User-generated accountability: Public participation in algorithmic governance on YouTube

Despite opaque automated systems and few formal channels for participation, YouTubers navigate algorithmic governance on the platform through a strategy we call user-generated accountability: the generation of publicity via content creation to reveal failures, oversights, or harmful policies. Through an analysis of 250 videos, we identify common strategies, concerns, and targets of accountability. Creators primarily upload vlogs that acknowledge the platform’s positive aspects, even as they express concern with YouTube’s policies, automated enforcement systems, poor communication practices, and discrimination against certain creators or content. In publicizing critiques of platform operations, videos enroll creators and audiences as active stakeholders in platform governance that can coordinate actions to draw the company’s attention to matters of concern. We argue that user-generated accountability practices offer a productive starting point for understanding how platform governance disputes come to be and how systems might be shaped or rebuilt to better serve the needs of competing stakeholders.

The Problem of Visual Complexity: Criteria for Analysis and Evaluation

The article analyses the concept of visual complexity, highlighted by different researchers as a significant characteristic of contemporary visual communication and culture. The problem of ambiguity of the concept and its dependence on different objective and subjective factors and perception variables is posed. Formal categories and criteria for assessing visual complexity are defined, its stable patterns in the subject area of corporate identity —logo, are revealed. With the help of the identified categories visual complexity is analyzed through specific formal universal attributes that can be systematized, which makes it possible to answer the question of what makes a logo complex. The concept of complexity of corporate identity is meaningfully revealed from the point of view of designers — its direct developers, who determine the visual-graphic, constructive and plastic character of the brand logo. For the first time in the Russian-speaking scientific space, an empirical study of the position of professional designers regarding the significance of the proposed criteria was conducted. The quantitative survey method allowed objectifying the point of view of the professional audience: the data is characterized by stability in comparison with the data obtained from the general audience. Visual complexity is thus conceptualized and empirically operationalized without a gap between the theory and practice of visual communication. It is concluded that, as an expressive design tool, visual complexity is a positive characteristic in contemporary media communication.

Rhetoric for Crowds

Gustave Le Bon’s eminent work The Crowd is considered as one of the fundamental works in mass psychology. Concurrently, the importance of this work and the impact it had on communication practices has been recently recognized by some of the scholars. While The Crowd primarily places focus on meticulous description of origin and psychological condition of the crowd, this paper suggests that, among others, Le Bon uses psychological discourse to define rhetorical precept that can be used as an agency for eliciting such condition. It is the purpose of this paper to extract and present the guidelines suggested by Le Bon in his work for mass oratory and corroborate it with apposite rhetorical theory in order to lend credibility to this thesis. Through broader treatment of rhetorical modes of pathos (state and language that induces it), orator, oration, and kairos (the right moment), with other hitherto rhetorical and linguistic insights, Le Bon constitutes activation means for evoking the psychological phenomena of the crowd. This paper represents Le Bon’s explicit and implicit rhetorical instructions in The Crowd by constructing the rhetorical model and indicating that his scholarly contribution was rhetorical as was psychological, suggesting consideration of his inclusion in the history of rhetoric and his contribution to the development of contemporary communication practices. This paper represents an interdisciplinary rhetorical model that engages the field of interest of various scientific disciplines, such as linguistics, rhetoric, communicology, public relations, and their subbranches.

The establishment and breakdown of trust in human-bot marketing calls

In this paper we explore human communicative behaviour in unsolicited commercial telephone calls between human telemarketers and ‘bots’ that exhibit human characteristics. Drawing on a corpus of recorded telephone conversations between telemarketers and a spam-interception service, we examine some of the communicative dimensions through which telemarketers make sense of their interactions with this technology as trust, or rather the illusion of it, is established, severed and restored. The analysis shows how trust is established early in the calls through an authentic human voice, the illusion of progressivity and purported intersubjectivity, including ‘doing-being-human’ excuses. In cases where telemarketers realise they had not been talking to a human, verbal abuse towards the bot, and expressions of surprise and embarrassment oriented to their professional face are articulated as the call is used as a training opportunity to identify bots. The article contributes to understanding some of the technology enabled contemporary communicative practices human beings engage in as part of their everyday lives. It raises questions about how humans negotiate trust and validate authenticity in an increasingly automated and technologically driven world.

Exploring intercultural communication: perspectives from internationalized staffrooms at a sino-french partnership institution

ABSTRACT This study investigates the dynamics of intercultural communication between international and Chinese teachers in staffrooms at a Sino-French partnership institution, focusing on identifying key challenges faced by international teachers. Employing qualitative research methods, this study explores how personal and institutional habitus influence international teachers’ perceptions and responses to intercultural communication nuances. Drawing upon Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, the study highlights the role of field capital in determining their positioning in intercultural communication practice. Specific coping strategies employed by international teachers in response to habitus-field disjunctions are examined, including the promotion of social connections and the practice of strategic reticence. Additionally, the study explores temporal and hierarchical dissonances affecting international teachers’ career progressions, leading to the identification of a necessary strategic redistribution of intercultural capital for smoother integration. The findings indicate the complexities of intercultural communication, shedding light on both facilitators and barriers to integration, and instances of marginalization. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on internationalization in higher education by exploring the interplay between local and global perspectives, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive environment that respects and accommodates individuals from various cultural backgrounds, thereby promoting greater intercultural understanding and collaboration within the global academic community.

Alzheimer's Disease Anti-Amyloid Immunotherapies: Imaging Recommendations and Practice Considerations for ARIA Monitoring.

With the full FDA approval and centers for Medicare & Medicaid services (CMS) coverage of lecanemab and donanemab, a growing number of practices are offering anti-amyloid immunotherapy to appropriate patients with cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to amyloid-positive Alzheimer's disease (AD). The goal of this paper is to provide updated practical considerations for radiologists, including implementation of MR imaging protocols, workflows and reporting and communication practices relevant to anti-amyloid immunotherapy and monitoring for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). Based on consensus discussion within an expanded ASNR Alzheimer's, ARIA, and Dementia study group, we will: (1) summarize the FDA guidelines for evaluation of radiographic ARIA; (2) review the three key MRI sequences for ARIA monitoring and standardized imaging protocols based on ASNR-industry collaborations; (3) provide imaging recommendations for three key patient scenarios; (4) highlight the role of the radiologist in the care team for this population; (5) discuss implementation of MRI protocols to detect ARIA in diverse practice settings; and (6) present results of the 2023 ASNR international neuroradiologist practice survey on dementia and ARIA imaging.ABBREVIATIONS: AD = Alzheimer's disease; ARIA = amyloid-related imaging abnormalities; APOE = apolipoprotein-E; CMS = centers for Medicare & Medicaid services; MCI = mild cognitive impairment.

How conversations can empower and involve: Building the evidence for Approved Mental Health Professionals’ communicative practices

How conversations can empower and involve: Building the evidence for Approved Mental Health Professionals’ communicative practices

Collaborating with non-radiological clinical colleagues.

Paediatric radiology is a challenging and intriguing subspecialty, dealing with children, guardians and non-radiological clinical colleagues. Paediatric radiologists are routinely in contact with numerous paediatric and surgical subspecialties, all having different needs, perceptions, prioritisations and expectations. Moreover, the radiologist is part of the team of radiographers, sonographers, nurses and secretaries, assisted by appropriate equipment and electronic tools. The framework of good collaboration to ensure safety and effectiveness for the imaged child is a shared responsibility among all medical practitioners involved. Communication in routine practice has many forms and includes appropriately filled radiology requests in accordance to the patient's medical records, routine and timely production of structured, problem-solving radiology reports, face-to-face or electronic-assisted communications and discussions on a pre-defined framework, mutually-agreed and evidence-based protocols adjusted to local availability, skills and national and international guidelines. Mutual understanding of advantages and limitations of imaging is paramount. Well-meant discussions, professionalism and empathy should promote soft skills, bidirectional communication and good collaboration for the benefit of added-value paediatric radiology. International societies, health authorities, medical directors and senior consultants have the responsibility to suggest and safeguard frameworks and recommendations. Regular multidisciplinary meetings and multidisciplinary research projects under openness, honesty and transparency are pathways favouring good collaboration.

A Need for Targeted Teaching of Shared Decision-Making as Identified from an Assessment of Client-Centered Communication Skills Training with Companion Animal Veterinarians.

Shared decision-making has been increasingly discussed as a communication practice within veterinary medicine, and it is gaining more traction for diagnostic and treatment planning conversations and specifically offering a spectrum of care. This teaching tip describes the data from an investigation of veterinarians' shared decision-making in a pre-test/post-test communication skills training intervention that used a client-centered, skills-based communication approach. Practice teams from a purposive sample of four companion animal veterinary clinics in Texas participated in a 15-month communication skills intervention, including interactive group workshops and one-on-one communication coaching. To assess the outcome of the intervention, for nine participating veterinarians, appointments recorded pre- (n=85) and post-intervention (n= 85) were analyzed using the Observer OPTION 5 instrument to assess shared decision-making. The intervention effect was evaluated using mixed logistic regression, adjusting for appointment type. The communication intervention did not significantly impact participating veterinarians' demonstration of shared decision-making (pre=25.42, n=55; post=28.03, n=56; p=0.36). Appointment type was significantly associated with veterinarians' OPTION 5 scores (p=.0004) and health problem appointments (OPTION 5=30.07) demonstrated greater shared decision-making than preventive care appointments (OPTION 5=22.81). Findings suggest that client-centered, skills-based training traditionally used in veterinary curricula and continuing education may not foster the use of shared decision-making, which is a higher-order communication approach that may require a dedicated process-oriented training. This teaching tip highlights the need for a targeted stepwise approach to teach shared decision-making.

The First Baby Study: What women would like to have known about first childbirth. A mixed-methods study.

Although prenatal care providers aim to prepare women for first childbirth, little research has explored retrospectively what birthing people would like to have known before first childbirth. To describe women's reports of what they would like to have known before first childbirth but feel they were not told. This is a secondary analysis of the First Baby Study, a large prospective cohort study conducted in Pennsylvania, USA. Telephone interviews were conducted with 3006 women 1 month after their first childbirth. Women were first asked: "Was there anything that you would have liked to have known before your delivery that you were not told?". If "yes" they were asked a second question: "Please tell me what you would have liked to have known before your delivery". A convergent mixed-methods analysis including descriptive analytics to compare characteristics of women by answers to the first question, and qualitative content analysis of women's open-ended answers to the second question. A total of 441 women (14.7%) reported there was something they would like to have known before their first childbirth. Women described that communication with care providers was their main concern. They would have liked a better understanding of their options before birth, more agency in decision-making, and more information about the topics of their body, their birth, their baby, and what to expect beyond birth. Results highlight important topics for childbirth education, and the impact of gaps in shared decision-making, patient-provider communication, and supportive care practices for first childbirth, especially where women have identified vulnerabilities.

Figurative language effect on consumer engagement: an empirical investigation for Turkish airline industry

Increasing consumer engagement (CE) on social networks is one of marketing problems that brands face in today’s competitive environment. Although prior studies on this concept suggested that content strategies have essential role in improving CE, little is known about figurative language effect. Thus, a novel model and research design to examine how the use of figurative language influence CE behavior on Facebook were proposed. Drawing on Encoding/Decoding Model and brand-consumer communication studies, the 1687 brand posts of Turkish airline Facebook pages with Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models were analyzed. The findings indicate that several types of figurative languages (idioms, personifications, and similes) are related to the various CE levels (likes, shares, and comments). The findings of this study give tips for understanding the role of figurative language, reshaping engagement level, and redesigning branded content in marketing communication practices on social networks. The experimental model that provides some clues to reconsider online communication strategies across CE based on figurative language is presented.

Evaluating Multi-Jurisdictional Enteric Illness Outbreak Messaging in Canada: A Content Analysis of Public Health Notices

ABSTRACT Effective risk communication during enteric illness outbreaks requires the provision of clear and consistent information to diverse audiences to reduce risk of exposure, inform behavior changes, and prevent illness. Most enteric illnesses are caused by pathogens transmitted through consumption of contaminated food or water, contact with animals, or person-to-person contact. When multi-jurisdictional outbreaks occur, the Public Health Agency of Canada posts web-based Public Health Notices (PHNs) to inform Canadians. This study evaluated the comprehensibility of PHNs to optimize federal risk communication approaches. Publicly available web-based PHNs (n = 42) from 2014–2022 were obtained. A codebook was developed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Clear Communication Index (CCI) and Health Belief Model (HBM) and systematically applied. A SMOG readability calculator was used to determine reading grade level. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize coded data. The average reading grade level was above Grade 12 (13.9 ± 1.1). PHNs communicated the nature of the risk (100%) and behavioral recommendations (96.5%) clearly. An active voice was sometimes used (61.9%), but numerical information was less commonly presented using best practices (38.1%). The HBM was fully incorporated in seven PHNs, with most PHNs using five of six constructs (66.7%). PHNs shared similar information in a consistent order (75.0%). Aligning PHNs to best practices in risk communication is recommended, including writing content at a reading grade level that supports comprehension by diverse audiences, following the CCI to increase clarity, including all HBM constructs to promote behavior change, and maintaining message consistency.

Preserving the Latvian Language Abroad: Personal Narratives and Institutional Support

Despite the widespread distribution of Latvians globally, the importance of heritage language for cultural connectivity remains underexplored. This study explores the preservation of the Latvian language among diaspora communities, employing linguistic autoethnography, participant observation, and communication analysis to examine the interplay between individual experiences and institutional support in maintaining cultural identity. Drawing from the author’s bilingual Latvian–Lithuanian background and based on the example of a mixed Latvian–Lithuanian family living in Finland, the study highlights the role of the family strategy in using languages at home, the role of grandparents, as well as heritage tourism, music, and arts in strengthening cultural ties. Through linguistic autoethnography, the article captures the essence of personal and collective efforts to sustain the Latvian language. Participant observation in diasporan activities and analysis of communicative practices reveal how diasporan Latvians actively engage in preserving their linguistic heritage. The Latvian Language Agency’s initiatives, including supporting language schools abroad, publishing educational resources, and organizing summer camps, are critically examined. The study advocates for a unified approach that combines personal commitment and structured support, emphasizing the crucial role of both in the vibrancy of the Latvian language abroad.

Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education : A Literature Snapshot

In Artificial Intelligence, “Artificial” means objects that are produced by human beings, and “Intel ligence” is the capability to form tactics to achieve goals by interacting with huge information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly in higher education, and various AI applications have been developed to solve some of the most pressing problems that higher education field currently face. The use of Artificial Intelligence or AI is rising in higher education. With this rise, the morality of AI programs is being questioned Higher education is crucial for producing ethical citizens and profess ionals globally. The introduction of generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT, has posed opportunities and challenges to the traditional model of education. However, the current conversations primarily focus on policy development and assessment, with limited research on the future of higher education.AI - powered language tools (AILTs) are commonly used by university students, yet there is a limited understanding of how students utilize and perceive these tools in everyday academic communication practice. Following the very recent launch of the ChatGPT, chatbot, numerous comments and speculations were posted concerning the potential aspects of society that are expected to benefit from this AI revolution. This paper addresses some of the most fundamental questions about the role, position, and implications of ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools amidst the evolving landscape of higher education and modern society.AI education aims to teach AI concepts, essential knowledge, and skills related to the fundamental ideas in AI. The affordances of artificial intelligence (AI) have not been totally utilized in education. To effectively integrate AI into education, teachers’ AI - specific technological and pedagogical knowledge is important.