Sensitivity towards patient's presence to avoid violent situations in hospitals: An observatory study

CONTEXT: The process of communication includes intense observation based on which opinions are formed or situations are created. A patient whose is in state of panic due to the health conditions feels neglected and becomes skeptical about the treatment hi/she is going to receive. AIMS: The aim of the study is to understand the need for being sensitive towards patient's presence while communicating. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: It was conducted in the outpatient wing of clinics at three different cities of Karnataka using a Sequential Observatory Study design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the results obtained from the pilot study a final schedule was prepared and sent to people using google drive during the month of Dec 2019. Out of 200 filled forms only 55 patients/relatives were qualified for analysis. SPSS version 17.0 software, Microsoft word and Excel were used in data handling and analysis. Textual analysis was used for presenting interview data. RESULTS: The qualitative analysis of the questionnaires found four emerging themes that disturbed the patients psychologically and such situations could lead to violence. The results prove that patients/relatives observe both verbal and nonverbal communication in the hospital from the time of their entry to exit. CONCLUSION: The communication intended or unintended made some impact on the perceptions of the patients about the way they are going to be treated. This indicates that the workforce should be conscious of their behaviour.