Suggestions for Overcoming Communication Barriers in Doctor and Patient Communication with Efficient Communication

Abstract

Having had to desert their countries because of war, which brought political oppression, and lack of life safety, many Syrians became refugees in Turkey for protection and they have struggled with many hardships (Yaylacı and Karakuş, 2015, p. 238). In the beginning, they had lived in shelter camps in the Southern Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. Later on, many of them started to contribute into the workforce by migrating to the big cities. Today, some of them have even received the Turkish citizenship. Struggling with certain diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, poliomyelitis and leishmania, these Syrians applied to the Turkish hospitals in order to regain their health (Sezen et al., 2018). This paper aims to show the communication problems that are experienced between doctors and patients in the first encounter at hospitals from the perspective of Syrian refugees who have become the latest immigrants by gaining citizenship. It also suggests some solutions in how to overcome these communication barriers during the first interaction experienced with doctors. The research used literature review as the method and the results show that the partnership model, two-way communication, active listening, making empathy and giving feedback are essential elements for effective communication.