COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR PARAMEDICS: ALGORITHMS AND KEY ASPECTS OF IMPLEMENTING THE SPIKES PROTOCOL

Abstract

Communicative competence is an important element of the professional activity of any medical worker, including a paramedic, since the level of patient trust, speed of decision-making, compliance with recommendations, and the psychological state of a person in a critical situation depend on the quality of communication. Communication becomes especially important in cases of reporting bad news: the death of a loved one, a serious diagnosis, a disappointing prognosis, or the need for urgent medical intervention. To standardize such communication in global medical practice, the SPIKES protocol is widely used, which helps medical workers conduct complex conversations professionally, ethically, and humanely. The article analyzes the application of paramedical communicative competence with an emphasis on the implementation of the features of the SPIKES algorithm in medical practice, as a protocol for a systematic approach to communication with patients and their relatives when reporting a bad diagnosis or worsening of the patient's health. This approach aims to improve the quality of interaction with the patient, provide emotional support and transfer of information, which is discussed in the study. The article examines the basic principles and stages of the SPIKES protocol and the elements of its implementation in the work of a paramedic, taking into account the psychological aspects of communicating with patients in critical situations and methods for improving the communication skills of a paramedic, which will positively affect the quality of medical care. The results of the study will be effective for professional communication in emergency medical care, where the ability to actively listen, the ability to clearly and understandably explain information, empathy and emotional support, control of one's own emotions, nonverbal communication skills, and the ability to work under stress and time constraints are important, as poor communication can lead to conflicts, distrust, or even refusal of treatment.