Professionalism and communication between healthcare professionals as well as between a doctor and his patient are the most fundamental qualities that a doctor can possess. These qualities are responsible for patient safety and reducing the risk of medical errors. Perhaps the most important and lasting consequence of failing to meet these qualities is compromising the safety of my future patients. This essay will highlight the importance of professionalism and communication and the impact of these qualities on patient health. Professionalism in the medical field has its roots in the Hippocratic Oath. Recognized as one of the oldest binding documents in history, it requires, among other things, doctors to treat the sick to the best of their abilities and to preserve the patient's privacy. Although this expectation of professionalism from doctors has not changed in over 2,000 years, the work environment of a doctor has seen many changes, especially in recent decades. Although a doctor still meets with patients one-on-one, it is a team effort. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In a hospital, the team of people caring for a patient is extremely large and complex. The definition of professionalism in such an environment is neither clear nor fixed. Wilkinson and two colleagues categorized professionalism into five principles: adherence to principles of ethical practice, effective interactions with patients and people important to patients, effective interactions with people working within the health system, trustworthiness and commitment to continuous skills improvement. Caring for a patient is a team effort involving countless healthcare professionals. In today's medical field, a doctor is also subject to many policies and regulations imposed on him, limiting his discretion for the safety of his patients. A doctor must do his best to be professional regarding the factors within his control. “A commitment to self-improvement, in my opinion, if you had to give up everything else, that would be the one I would keep,” Wilkinson says. In other words, professionalism is an ongoing process and every opportunity to improve it should be exploited. During a 4-day hospital stay, a patient may interact with 50 different employees, including doctors, nurses, technicians and others. Although areas of education and professional training may vary, each is important in that an error or misstep on the part of a healthcare professional can have serious consequences on the quality of care. The importance of communication between healthcare professionals cannot be overemphasized. According to the Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, JCHAO), if medical errors made the National Center for Health Statistic's list of top 10 causes of death in the United States, it would rank fifth, facing accidents, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, as well as AIDS, breast cancer and gunshot wounds. To achieve good treatment results, effective and efficient communication at every stage of the process is important. Without effective communication, decisions will be made based on incomplete information, instructions can easily be misinterpreted, and status changes will beignored. This opens the door to medical errors and, in some cases, serious injury or even death of the patient. As this communication occurs between professionals with varying schedules and areas of knowledge about the patient's condition and treatment, a strong communication system is essential to providing clinical care smoothly and efficiently. For this system to work properly, it requires a certain level of trust and accountability between different professionals. Every error or mistake must be brought to light immediately and must be used to improve the system for the future. Due to cost constraints, the communication process must include the latest tools and methods for maximum effectiveness. Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "the transmission or exchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speaking, writing, or signs." Communication constitutes a basis for collaboration between health professionals to offer the best results to their patients. But a collaborative environment has other obstacles to overcome: extra time; perceived loss of autonomy; lack of confidence in the decisions of others; conflicting perceptions; territorialism; and a provider's lack of awareness of the education, knowledge, and skills held by colleagues in other disciplines and professions. A physician's ability to maintain an effective communication process with their patients has a direct impact on the quality of results as well as patient satisfaction. Without good communication, a physician will not obtain all the information needed to provide quality care and treatment decisions will be based on incomplete data. This can not only decrease the quality of care, but can easily lead to overall patient dissatisfaction. This patient dissatisfaction can lead to decreased patient compliance and decreased trust between physicians and their patients. Because patients and those who support them are often inexperienced in explaining their condition, the physician becomes responsible for obtaining all the information needed for proper diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Since patients are generally not competent to list their concerns in order of importance, the physician requires skill and patience to retrieve all the information needed to provide quality care. This communication is a process and must be managed correctly at every stage. Good communication has a direct impact on patient satisfaction by decreasing frustration, reducing anxiety, and improving patient compliance with treatment plans. In acute situations, a patient's perceived lack of good communication can worsen their condition. A physician's stress level will also increase if this communication process does not work effectively because they will be working with insufficient data. Effective communication skills are an essential skill that every doctor needs. It is estimated that over the course of a 40-year career, doctors will conduct between 150,000 and 200,000 interviews with patients and family members. So every little improvement in this skill will bring huge benefits. Lack of these skills will lead to a decline in the quality of care, dissatisfied patients, and medical errors that can put the patient's life at risk. Due to time constraints, a doctor must also be effective in this communication process. Delays must be managed without making the patient feel rushed. The doctor must be.