Diagnostic Tools
Diagnostic tools are some methods of communication that are used to deal with the subject based on the requirements, including mental support in patients, extracting information from criminals, development of mental growth in children and others. There are several diagnostic tools available currently. Some of these tools are as follows.
Strength Cards – This is a diagnostic communication tool that is mainly used for aiding the mental development of school students and children. In this particular communication tool, different tarot cards are utilized each of which have different meanings. These cards are used to teach the students about the importance of different values in the life and the role played by effective communication in them.
Johari Window – Johari Window is another diagnostic communication tool that is mainly effective on adult grown-ups who need to learn the importance of inter-personal relationships and communications. This tool is mainly psychological in nature and determines whether the subject himself is totally aware of his situation or not. In order to test the subject, some adjectives are provided to him from which, he chooses some that best describe his personality. These adjectives are then placed in window shaped grid of the Johari Window to determine the condition of the subject. The objective of this Johari Window is the determination of the condition of the subject and letting him know the same so that he can adapt himself in the right direction.
Assertive Type Questionnaire – Assertive type questionnaire is another communication tool that is mainly used to pressurize the subject to reveal the required pieces of information. This is mainly necessary where normal communication mode is not sufficient for bringing out the information from the subject. While this is common in interrogation in criminals, this is also widely used in the interview processes and other work place meetings. However, while using this tool, the subject may be under immense mental pressure and if a highly assertive tool is applied against them, it may result in further damage in the mental condition of the patient. Hence, before choosing a diagnostic tool, the situation should first be assessed. Again, when the subject is communicated to bring out some secret information, assertive type questionnaires are used. However, depending on the mentality of the subject, the magnitude of the assertion should be varied. Too less assertion will result in no suitable response from the subject while too high assertion will result in lying by the subject.
Communication Type Questionnaire – Communication type questionnaire is a more open and easy tool of diagnostic communication that allows the subject to adapt with the environment and open up more easily to the interviewer. The main objective of this tool is to help the subject adapt with the environment and communication with others using his own communication style easily. This is mainly applicable for the school students for aiding their communication skills and development.
Talking Therapy – Talking therapy is one of the commonly used diagnostic communication tool all over the world. In this tool, different information and stories are read to the subject in order to raise his awareness regarding his own life decisions and mistakes. Different religious and spiritual leaders around the world are seen to conduct talking therapy sessions where they tell different encouraging stories to the followers in order to heal their mental pain and hardships.
Strength Cards
I have studies myself and have identified two main issues with my communication type and style. Firstly, I have noticed that I am not confident enough while I am talking to my superiors (university lecturers, principal, etc.). I always prepare myself and my words before consulting any of my superiors but fail to pass over all the information due to nervousness and poor communication skills. I need to improve this issue so that I am able to feel free and confident in front of my superiors. Another communication issue with me is the lack of confidence while talking to a person with a different language than my own native one. In my university, I mainly interact with other team mates of mine in English but my spoken English is not strong enough to continue fluent discussion with them.
Two recent personal and professional communication examples are as follows.
Case 1 – While preparing my exam module, I needed some help and called my supervisor to discuss the module. He asked me to meet face to face and I agreed. Before meeting, I prepared myself for few hours and met my teacher. However, when I met him, I forgot everything I needed to say and could communicate properly with my teacher.
Case 2 – Another case in the last 12 years happened when some new students from different countries joined our college. As they were not from my native place, I had to communication with them in English. Due to lack of spoken English skills, I did not feel confident enough to continue a long conversation with my new friends.
In the diagnosis and reflection, several issues have been identified related to communication. According to Berland and Berland (2017), communication is a process by which two or more human beings interact with each other for passing of information. Without suitable communication, sufficient information cannot be passed from one individual to another. However, with increasing complexity in communication, simple communication is not sufficient. Effective communication is required in order to pass on information, emotions, orders and others to a different individual. Nowadays, communication is also used as a tool for therapy and diagnosis of the people facing serious pressure, mental problems or even mental development of children and others. Ghaferi & Dimick (2015) said that communication can be a very effective tool for diagnosis and therapy if the right type of communication is applied in the right situation. There are different communication tools that are applicable for different situations. For instance, assertive type questionnaires are effective while trying to extract secret information from a certain individual. On the other hand, communication type questionnaires are more effective for helping the mental development of students in the school. As per the works of Berland and Berland (2017), use of suitable communication diagnostic tool is necessary in order to aid the diagnosis or therapy of an individual. However, Saxena (2015) have published some issues of the use of diagnostic communication tools. The first issue is the selection of the suitable communication tool. As stated before, different communication tools are applicable in different situations depending upon the condition of the subject. Selection of the wrong communication tool can be a disaster for the subject. The subject may be under immense mental pressure and if a highly assertive tool is applied against them, it may result in further damage in the mental condition of the patient. Hence, before choosing a diagnostic tool, the situation should first be assessed. Another main issue, as presented by Tran (2016) is the approach of using a particular tool on the subject depending on the condition. For instance, when the subject is communicated to bring out some secret information, assertive type questionnaires are used. However, depending on the mentality of the subject, the magnitude of the assertion should be varied. Too less assertion will result in no suitable response from the subject while too high assertion will result in lying by the subject. These two issues show the necessity of effective communication for fulfilling suitable purposes. Diagnosis has works as imperative in psychiatry as somewhere else in medicine. Psychiatric conclusions in view of investigations of common history allow expectation obviously and result, permit making arrangements for both prompt and long haul treatment, and make communication conceivable amongst specialists and different doctors, and in addition among therapists themselves. Such capacities are of evident significance in investigate. While no psychiatric disorder has yet been completely approved by a total arrangement of steps, a lot of work has been distributed demonstrating that significant approval is conceivable. This communication is an outline of that work as particular demonstrative criteria. The investigations of approval for every ailment are referred to. Moreover, we in this office have done an investigation of entomb rater unwavering quality and approval of dependability with a 18-month follow-up investigation of 314 psychiatric crisis room patients (to be distributed) and also a seven-year follow-up investigation of 87 psychiatric inpatients (to be distributed), each of whom was met actually and efficiently. There were four distinctive raters in the crisis room think about. Agreements between researchers extended from 86% to 95% about diagnosis with symptomatic criteria like those laid out in this report. There were two diverse raters in the inpatient examine ; dependability between those raters was 92%. In the crisis room think about and in the inpatient examine, legitimacy, as controlled by accurately anticipating diagnosis at follow-up by criteria, for example, those of this report, was 93% and 92%, separately.
The main objective of the action plan is to create a sufficient work plan for studying and analyzing literature for in-depth analysis of diagnostic communication tools. The suitable work plan is shown in the following Gantt Chart.
Figure: Project Gantt Chart
(Source: Created by Author )
Task Name |
Duration |
Start |
Finish |
Action Plan |
125 days |
Tue 23-05-17 |
Mon 13-11-17 |
Activity Initiation |
12 days |
Tue 23-05-17 |
Wed 07-06-17 |
Study Requirements Preparation |
2 days |
Tue 23-05-17 |
Wed 24-05-17 |
Listing of all the requirements |
3 days |
Thu 25-05-17 |
Mon 29-05-17 |
Devleopment of study plan |
2 days |
Tue 30-05-17 |
Wed 31-05-17 |
Scheduling of the Study Plan |
3 days |
Thu 01-06-17 |
Mon 05-06-17 |
Identification of Suitable Literature Sources and Study Materials |
2 days |
Tue 06-06-17 |
Wed 07-06-17 |
Action Initiation |
97 days |
Thu 08-06-17 |
Fri 20-10-17 |
Collection of Literary Sources |
10 days |
Thu 08-06-17 |
Wed 21-06-17 |
Survey of literature |
15 days |
Thu 22-06-17 |
Wed 12-07-17 |
Collection of Secondary Data |
15 days |
Thu 13-07-17 |
Wed 02-08-17 |
Analysis of primary and secondary data |
10 days |
Thu 03-08-17 |
Wed 16-08-17 |
Contact with Supervisor |
2 days |
Thu 17-08-17 |
Fri 18-08-17 |
Consultation with Active Team |
2 days |
Mon 21-08-17 |
Tue 22-08-17 |
In-depth Analysis |
15 days |
Wed 23-08-17 |
Tue 12-09-17 |
In-depth Understanding |
8 days |
Wed 13-09-17 |
Fri 22-09-17 |
Preparation of Project Report |
20 days |
Mon 25-09-17 |
Fri 20-10-17 |
Activity Closure |
16 days |
Mon 23-10-17 |
Mon 13-11-17 |
Review of Project Report |
5 days |
Mon 23-10-17 |
Fri 27-10-17 |
Submission of Report to Mentor |
1 day |
Mon 30-10-17 |
Mon 30-10-17 |
Review by Mentor |
5 days |
Tue 31-10-17 |
Mon 06-11-17 |
Marking |
5 days |
Tue 07-11-17 |
Mon 13-11-17 |
References
Bahadori, M., Shiri, A., & Mahdizade, H. (2015). Ranking Feedback and Disclosure Mechanisms based on Johari Window Model in order to Enhance Organizational Communications.
Berland, A., & Berland, A. (2017). Using the Johari Window to explore patient and provider perspectives. International Journal of Health Governance, 22(1), 47-51.
Bradbury?Jones, C., Taylor, J., Kroll, T., & Duncan, F. (2014). Domestic abuse awareness and recognition among primary healthcare professionals and abused women: a qualitative investigation. Journal of clinical nursing, 23(21-22), 3057-3068.
Ghaferi, A. A., & Dimick, J. B. (2015). Understanding failure to rescue and improving safety culture. Annals of surgery, 261(5), 839.
McCabe, C., & Timmins, F. (2013). Communication skills for nursing practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Price, A. M., Stephens, M., Patterson, C., Snelgrove-Clarke, E., Work, F., & Chiang, V. (2015). What are the patterns of personal learning environments (PLE) for undergraduate students undertaking degrees in nursing.
Saxena, P. (2015). JOHARI WINDOW: An Effective Model for Improving Interpersonal Communication and Managerial Effectiveness. SIT Journal of Management, 5(2), 134-146.
Taylor, D. C., & Hamdy, H. (2013). Adult learning theories: Implications for learning and teaching in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 83. Medical Teacher, 35(11), e1561-e1572.
Tong, C. (2014). Doctor-patient Communication Model and Its Enlightenments Based on the Thory of Johari Window (Doctoral dissertation, College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University).
Tran, B. (2016). Communication: The Role of the Johari Window on. Handbook of Research on Effective Communication, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution, 405.