This is an excerpt from a member-only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe.

Communication is defined as the exchange of information between individuals (i.e., by means of speaking, writing, or using a common system of signs and behavior). It sounds perfectly reasonable and logical, and the definition seems to apply to most other industries, except healthcare. The healthcare industry is like no other. It is made up of a myriad of people with thousands of different specialties and specific business knowledge. In the simplest terms, the objectives may be the same as those in any service industry (i.e., provide a good service, entice as many customers as you can, and make a profit); however, healthcare businesses have to go about it being heavily regulated and financially scrutinized, and dealing with the most important element of all, the human aspect.