Analysis of the use and functions of silence in the communication of healthcare professionals in a pediatric oncology unit

Abstract

There are different kinds of silence and each of them has multiple functions and can cause several effects. Regarding the health field, an effective communication is key to enable the patients to understand the situation and to express themselves with clarity and confidence in front of health professionals. Silence is also key in that communication. Objective: The aim of this study is to know the importance of silence amongst professionals and to analyze the way they use silence in their communication with patients. Methods: 43 professionals belonging to the Pediatric Oncology field have taken part in the study. This study proposes a classification of the kinds of silence referred to health communication and a pilot tool to evaluate the silence in that communication. Results: The outcomes confirm that silence is heterogeneous and fulfils different purposes. It has confirmed that health professionals use different kinds of silence, among which Neutral Silences are the most frequent, followed by Productive Silences and with Obstructive Silences as the least used Moreover, the one more used is that which boosts attention, accompaniment, reflection and expression, whereas the silence of power and the silence of disconnection are the least used.Conclusions: The proposed evaluation tool (Q-SPS) has shown good level of inner consistency for this sample, allowing for setting a comparative profile in the use of silence amongst different health professionals, so a more exhaustive research with a greater volume of participants could be assessed.