Key Elements Of Communication Research Articles

Rural dyadic collaboration in heart failure

Abstract Background Dyads (patient/care partner) living with heart failure have shared responsibility for patient care. While theoretical and empirical literature regarding heart failure dyadic care is evolving rapidly, sociocultural contexts are unique and affect relationship dynamics. Yet, dynamics and underlying structures of rural dyadic collaboration in heart failure remains unknown. Purpose The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe the dynamics and underlying structures of dyadic collaboration in heart failure among rural dyads. Methods A semi-structured interview was used to evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of a 12-week problem-solving intervention in addressing dyadic heart failure-related issues and the development of effective management strategies in week 5. Initially, in the qualitative analysis, an adjusted matrix analysis for each rural dyad was used to identify these dyadic issues and strategies. Subsequently, dynamics and underlying structures of collaboration occurring within these dyads in addressing these issues and strategies were analyzed and thematic codes generated. Finally, a multiple correspondence analysis of dyadic collaboration was performed within these thematic codes and a Benzécri equation used to normalize results, helping to determine the underlying structure and variance explained by the model on a Cartesian graph. Results Twenty-eight living in the rural southeastern U.S. were included. Patients were mostly Caucasian (73.3%), female (60%), married (70%), and college-educated (43%), with an average age of 67.7 years. Care partners were primarily women (n = 50%), Caucasian (82.1%), married (89.3%), and high school-educated (46.4%), with an average age of 64.5 years. Using inductive coding, four codes emerged regarding dyadic relational and collaborative aspects between dyads: role awareness, requesting or receiving help, and improving dyadic communication. XLStat was used for a multiple correspondence analysis (Fig. 1), with checking and then normalizing results using the Benzécri equation on R (Fig.2). There were two gender-determined patterns within dyads. In dyads in which the patient was female and the care partner male, communication improved, requests for assistance were verbalized, and there was an improvement in collaborative orientation. However, partners were unaware of their collaborative role. In contrast, when the care partner was a woman and the patient a man, communication and requests for help were implied, and there was no improvement in collaborative orientation. In this situation, partners had full role awareness. Conclusion(s) These findings suggest gender constitutes a key element in communication, verbalization of needs, and collaborative orientation within rural dyads living with heart failure. The importance of gender roles may be useful in designing future dyadic interventions for rural individuals with heart failure and their informal care partners.

The Intercultural Communication Analysis of Conversations in the Project ‘My Hanoi’ by Faculty of Tourism, Hanoi Open University

Culture is significant in the process of creating communication, and language is the key element of communication. More than ever, English and tourism have created opportunities for people from different cultures to exchange and share their cultural values directly. Therefore, intercultural communication skill is highlighted in the context of the thriving global tourism industry. When a group of 20 junior students from the Faculty of Tourism, Hanoi Open University, took two foreign guests on food tours funded by the project ‘My Hanoi’ to improve their communicative competence in English, the researchers had a great chance to observe such interesting phenomena of intercultural communication in their conversations. Those phenomena were then analyzed from the intercultural communication perspective to indicate the strengths and weaknesses of our students in communicating with people from other cultures.

Innovating in the Tourism Industry Through Virtual Reality (VR) and Education in the Hotel Business

In the interdisciplinary co-operation of experts in the fields of technology, hospitality, and pedagogy, a 3D training module was created, which simulates the environment of a hotel reception. Key elements of communication between hotel staff and various types of guests were identified, and variant scenarios of communication situations were prepared. Scenarios are based on the principles of effective simulation. The methodology of training communication skills of hotel employees using virtual reality tools was compiled on the basis of foreign research in the field of using virtual reality in training processes. The tool is a pilot test in teaching tourism workers, specifically for the development of their communication skills in dealing with clients. The paper presents, in detail, a model of virtual reception and methodology of communication skills training, which was verified on students who are preparing to work in tourism, as well as on hotel staff with experience.

How do patients and physicians communicate about hereditary angioedema in the United States?

BackgroundHereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease that manifests as recurrent and debilitating angioedema attacks, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life.ObjectiveTo assess communication dynamics between patients with HAE and treating physicians and the impact this has on the treatment of HAE in the United States.MethodsThis observational study used an institutional review board–approved protocol to collect four sources of patient–physician communication data from the period between January 2015 and May 2017: in-office conversations between patients aged ≥18 years with HAE and physicians, follow-up dictations with physicians, telephone interviews with patients and physicians, and publicly available social media posts from patients. Participant language was qualitatively assessed and key communication elements and communication gaps identified.ResultsTwenty-five in-office conversations, 14 follow-up physician dictations, and 17 telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 29 unique patients, 4 caregivers, and 14 physicians. In-office conversations were generally physician-driven and focused primarily on symptom frequency, location, and severity; lexicon from both parties centered on “episodes” and “swelling.” During visits, impact on quality of life was not routinely assessed by physicians nor discussed proactively by patients; however, during telephone interviews and online, patients frequently described the multifaceted burden of HAE. Patients highlighted the difficulties they experience by using repetition, emphasis, and metaphors; they also varied the descriptors used for attacks depending on the communication goal. Physicians used intensifiers to emphasize the necessity of rescue medication access, whereas prophylactic treatments were positioned as an option for frequent or laryngeal attacks.ConclusionVocabulary differences suggest that the full impact of HAE is not consistently communicated by patients to physicians during clinical visits, indicating the potential for misaligned understanding of disease burden. A patient-driven, rather than physician-driven approach to the discussions may elicit valuable information that could help to optimize treatment approaches.

TMS Bursts Can Modulate Local and Networks Oscillations During Lower-Limb Movement.

Lower-limb motor functions involve processing information via both motor and cognitive control networks. Measuring oscillations is a key element in communication within and between cortical networks during high-order motor functions. Increased midfrontal theta oscillations are related to improved lower-limb motor performances in patients with movement disorders. Noninvasive neuromodulation approaches have not been explored extensively to understand the oscillatory mechanism of lower-limb motor functions. This study aims to examine the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on local and network EEG oscillations in healthy elderly subjects. Eleven healthy elderly subjects (67-73 years) were recruited via advertisements, and they underwent both active and sham stimulation procedures in a random, counterbalanced design. Transcranial magnetic stimulation bursts (θ-transcranial magnetic stimulation; 4 pulses/second) were applied over the midfrontal lead (vertex) before a GO-Cue pedaling task, and signals were analyzed using time-frequency methods. Transcranial magnetic stimulation bursts increase the theta activity in the local ( p = 0.02) and the associated network during the lower-limb pedaling task ( p = 0.02). Furthermore, after task-related transcranial magnetic stimulation burst sessions, increased resting-state alpha activity was observed in the midfrontal region ( p = 0.01). This study suggests the ability of midfrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation bursts to directly modulate local and network oscillations in a frequency manner during lower-limb motor task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation burst-induced modulation may provide insights into the functional roles of oscillatory activity during lower-limb movement in normal and disease conditions.

THE CONCEPT OF «WOMAN» IN RUSSIAN APHORISMS

Language is a key element of communication. It was created by human and aimed at human, reflecting all aspects of person’s life and the life of the society in which a person socializes and lives. The fact of gender roles in a language and their influence on different languages’ dictionaries is lingual universal. The purpose of this study is to focus Russian aphorisms with the concept of «Woman» on the essence of their linguistic and cultural value in the tradition of the Russian people. The object of this study is aphorisms and winged words with the component woman and lexical variants synonymous with it. The subject of the study is the peculiarities of the perception and interpretation of the concept of «Woman» by the authors of aphorisms – authoritative representatives of the intelligentsia. As a result of using the methods of conceptual, semantic, associative analysis in the language, the procedures of the descriptive and the translation methods, the following conclusions were made. Basically, the Russian language masters as aphorisms the statements of poets and writers with a negative, ironic, functionally restrictive and even demeaning view of female behavior, which is evidence of the stability of patriarchal consciousness in Russian society. As a rule, the maternal function and the external beauty of a woman are positively perceived. The results of this study may be useful to those who study Russian as a foreign language, and to those who engage in gender studies.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: Comparing what South African healthcare providers communicate to patients at the point of diagnosis against international guidelines

The process of communicating a diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) has been widely studied internationally and found to be an important factor in the reduction of symptoms as well as promoting the uptake of treatment. To date, no research has focused on diagnosis communication in the South African context. This study used applied thematic analysis to explore the content addressed by a sample of 11 South African healthcare providers (HCPs) when presenting a diagnosis of PNES to a patient. The purpose was to investigate the areas of alignment between the international guidelines and what is done in practice and to identify other elements communicated by South African HCPs that were not addressed in the guidelines.The key communication elements described in five international guidelines were grouped into nine main themes, and coding frequencies were used to identify areas of alignment. In general, the practices of the participants aligned closely to the international guidelines. There was close alignment between the guidelines and the practices of HCPs in respect of six themes, namely: that the diagnosis was not epilepsy; how the diagnosis was made; that PNES was a real, debilitating condition; an explanation of possible causes and maintaining factors; that antiepileptic drugs are not effective in treating PNES; and a description of appropriate treatment. Participants suggested four additional subthemes that may be included when presenting a diagnosis: what to do in the event of future seizures; that further investigations are not helpful; enquiry into the link between stressors and seizures; and a discussion about comorbid conditions.Participants noted the value of utilizing a guideline as a means to ensure that all HCPs involved with a patient communicate a consistent message. They emphasized that diagnosis presentation must be relevant to the South African population and discussed the need to tailor explanations for the patient's home language and level of education. Cross-cultural barriers and different cultural health beliefs may require a specially tailored communication approach grounded in a clear cultural understanding.

Communication Breakdowns – Uninformative Doctors Or Ignorant Patients?

Objective: Communication issues within clinical encounters are increasing within Turkey. To raise awareness of the problem and identify solutions, it was decided to undertake the current research. Methods: Separate questionnaires, one for doctors, the other for patients, were prepared and distributed between May and July 2018 to 100 doctors plus 100 adult patients at either Adana Numune Hospital or Eskisehir Osmangazi University Hospital. Results: Patients’ views: 60% responded that doctors give insufficient information in terms of quality and quantity. 80% stated that the doctor failed to convey a clear message. 40% described doctors as lacking enthusiasm in explaining the issue and curtailing the conversation. 40% felt that the inadequate length of the consultation contributed to a sense that the patient was undervalued by the doctor. 40% felt consultation times needed to be lengthened. 20% stated that the doctors listened inadequately. 30% felt that communication would be improved by better use of Turkish equivalents for latinate medical terms. 10% felt that the key element in communication was for doctors first to value patients.Doctors’ views: 100% felt they had the ability to explain, but that time constraints and patients’ inability to understand key elements hinder communication. 95% felt the issue rested with patients and their inability to comprehend. 60% considered the patients insufficiently educated or lacking adequate intellectual resources to understand. 90% proposed lengthening consultation times to improve communication. Conclusion: Blaming either party is not the solution. Short consultation times are the root cause of miscommunication and need to increase if communication is to improve. Improvements in patients’ education may in the future lead to more fruitful clinical encounters. Clinicians must develop an effective communication style to create healthier relationships with their patients.

L’inglese lingua franca come strumento di marketing nel commercio internazionale

Abstract – The English language as an international language has become a key element of communication in the international trade of products and services of all types. This is because all small, medium and large companies are facing an increasingly globalized world with all the competition that this involves both in the domestic and export market. While quality of the product or service remains a key factor, the ability to communicate in a globalised world can mean the difference between struggling to survive and expanding. In particular, the use of English in the Apulia region is of paramount importance for economic development, especially in the markets for traditional agro-food products (e.g. wine, olive oil or dairy products) and for attracting tourists on the national, European and extra-European levels: areas where English has almost become a second language. In this chapter, we will examine how ELF is used in conjunction with the more traditional English as a native language (ENL) in marketing, focusing on a case study of the scope of wine descriptions produced by two well-known Apulian wine producers. Before reporting on our analysis, we will briefly discuss Christiansen’s (2016) typology of the various forms of English used in international business circles and discuss the general factors that are to be considered before adopting one type of English rather than another in the context of various international marketing.

SP-0489: RTT/Nurse's perspective: patient is the key element of communication

SP-0489: RTT/Nurse's perspective: patient is the key element of communication

Commentary on the special topic: nanoenergy and nanosystem

In the internationally renowned journal—Science China Technological Sciences—a good selection of articles dedicated to the field of micro-/nanotechnologies have reported several advanced technologies in nanoenergy and nanosystems. Five papers written with great care by international experts are targeting to address technical challenges in self-powered chaotic signal generators and new batteries based on nanomaterials. I read these papers and found them interesting and beneficial to researchers working in the above-mentioned areas. The paper written by Zhang et al. [1] has analyzed the power consumption of a chaotic circuit. Chaotic circuits are key elements in communication and neural systems, where they serve functions of adding extra protections to the communicated signals and simulations of brain working mechanism. The power consumption of such circuits is extremely important particularly in applications such as portable and implanted devices, where it is almost impossible to perform in vivo battery replacement, drastically reducing the lifetime of the devices. In the paper, rigorous theoretical analysis of power consumption of the chaotic circuits was conducted. It has been shown in the paper that the total power of the linear elements equals the power

Development and validation of a continuous measure of patient condition using the Electronic Medical Record

Patient condition is a key element in communication between clinicians. However, there is no generally accepted definition of patient condition that is independent of diagnosis and that spans acuity levels. We report the development and validation of a continuous measure of general patient condition that is independent of diagnosis, and that can be used for medical-surgical as well as critical care patients.A survey of Electronic Medical Record data identified common, frequently collected non-static candidate variables as the basis for a general, continuously updated patient condition score. We used a new methodology to estimate in-hospital risk associated with each of these variables. A risk function for each candidate input was computed by comparing the final pre-discharge measurements with 1-year post-discharge mortality. Step-wise logistic regression of the variables against 1-year mortality was used to determine the importance of each variable. The final set of selected variables consisted of 26 clinical measurements from four categories: nursing assessments, vital signs, laboratory results and cardiac rhythms. We then constructed a heuristic model quantifying patient condition (overall risk) by summing the single-variable risks. The model’s validity was assessed against outcomes from 170,000 medical-surgical and critical care patients, using data from three US hospitals.Outcome validation across hospitals yields an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) of ⩾0.92when separating hospice/deceased from all other discharge categories, an AUC of ⩾0.93 when predicting 24-h mortalityand an AUC of 0.62 when predicting 30-day readmissions. Correspondence with outcomesreflective of patient condition across the acuity spectrum indicates utility in both medical-surgical unitsand critical care units. The model output, which we call the Rothman Index, may provide clinicians witha longitudinal view of patient condition to help address known challenges in caregiver communication,continuity of care, and earlier detection of acuity trends.

TICs: A key element of communication among university faculty

This article exposes the interest that the technologies of information and communication (TICs) present in the development of the universities, especially, in the development of its processes of information management and internal communication. Based on a review of the state of the art in this field, different theoretical approaches from the field of theory of communication and institutional communication are discussed, allowing us to visualize the crucial role that information management has in the processes of modernization of the university. Finally, a methodological design for the study of the role of the TICs in information management in the university institution is presented, specifically in relation to the influence that the widespread use of the TICs has had on communication among university faculty.

Effect of Gender on Communication of Health Information to Older Adults

To examine the effect of gender on three key elements of communication with elderly individuals: effectiveness of the communication, perceived relevance to the individual, and effect of gender-stereotyped content. Survey. University of Connecticut Health Center. Thirty-three subjects (17 female); aged 69 to 91 (mean+/-standard deviation 82+/-5.4). Older adults listened to 16 brief narratives randomized in order and by the sex of the speaker (Narrator Voice). Effectiveness was measured according to ability to identify key features (Risks), and subjects were asked to rate the relevance (Plausibility). Number of Risks detected and determinations of plausibility were analyzed according to Subject Gender and Narrator Voice. Narratives were written for either sex or included male or female bias (Neutral or Stereotyped). Female subjects identified a significantly higher number of Risks across all narratives (P=.01). Subjects perceived a significantly higher number of Risks with a female Narrator Voice (P=.03). A significant Voice-by-Stereotype interaction was present for female-stereotyped narratives (P=.009). In narratives rated as Plausible, subjects detected more Risks (P=.02). Subject Gender influenced communication effectiveness. A female speaker resulted in identification of more Risks for subjects of both sexes, particularly for Stereotyped narratives. There was no significant effect of matching Subject Gender and Narrator Voice. This study suggests that the sex of the speaker influences the effectiveness of communication with older adults. These findings should motivate future research into the means by which medical providers can improve communication with their patients.

Models of Communication in the Qur’an

This study uses models of communication, defined as “structures of symbols and rules designed to correspond to the relevant points of an existing structure or process,”1 to explain the process of communication between God and human beings. The invisibility of God to human beings, coupled with His difference in nature, appear to make such interaction difficult – but not impossible – to conceive. A general communication model is constructed in accordance with Qur’an 42:51. Later, specific models are drawn according to the verse’s segments. Each model is elaborated by examples from the Qur’an and the Hadith. In each model, I explicate the process of divine–human interaction by identifying the key elements of communication and their relationships. To devise the models, this study depends heavily on the Qur’an, identifies communication-related verse(s), analyzes the words’ semantic components, and reveals the expression’s rhetorical implications, all drawn from the primary sources of the classical and modern eras.

Models of Communication in the Qur’an

This study uses models of communication, defined as “structures of symbols and rules designed to correspond to the relevant points of an existing structure or process,”1 to explain the process of communication between God and human beings. The invisibility of God to human beings, coupled with His difference in nature, appear to make such interaction difficult – but not impossible – to conceive. A general communication model is constructed in accordance with Qur’an 42:51. Later, specific models are drawn according to the verse’s segments. Each model is elaborated by examples from the Qur’an and the Hadith. In each model, I explicate the process of divine–human interaction by identifying the key elements of communication and their relationships. To devise the models, this study depends heavily on the Qur’an, identifies communication-related verse(s), analyzes the words’ semantic components, and reveals the expression’s rhetorical implications, all drawn from the primary sources of the classical and modern eras.

Meeting The Communication Challenge

For the most part, account-based pension plans are not traditional long-service retirement plans. They are "when your service ends" plans, whether the employee leaves to retire or start a new job or vocation, and they are much like savings plans. They are also a new approach to helping employ-ees understand and accumulate their financial resources. Easier to explain to employees than more traditional pension plans, account-based plans still present stumbling blocks in terms of how to successfully introduce them to your orga-nization. Why the new plan is being introduced and what it is intended to do and not to do are the toughest and most important communication challenges that need to be met. Key communica-tion elements include proper naming of the bene-fit (don't call it a retirement plan) and demonstrating your organization's intended people strategy.

Pragmatics in learners' dictionaries

The role of pragmatic factors as key elements in communication has not been underestimated by the authors of Learners' Dictionaries, which aim to help foreign students to use English not only correctly, but also effectively and appropriately. Thus information about those factors, mainly connected with extra-linguistic features such as the context of situation and connotative, culture-specific values, has been included in Learners' Dictionaries, either explicitly explained in Notes, charts, etc. and coded in stylistic and register labels, or implicity conveyed in definitions and examples. A few examples of both explicit and implicit information, such as on the one hand the contents of certain Notes, and, on the other, the deictic use of proforms and the role of sexism, will be analyzed in this paper in section 2 and in section 3 respectively, to see how effectively and consistently pragmatic factors are dealt with in three major Learners' Dictionaries, the Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, and the Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary. It seems that, as already suggested by Zgusta (1988), the decodification of the pragmatic information given ultimately relies on the pragmatic, rather than on the linguistic, competence of the dictionary user.