Escala de avaliação da comunicação hospitalar: proposta de Instrumento de comunicação entre profissionais de Enfermagem

Abstract

Communication failures are one of the main factors contributing to adverse events in healthcare, directly impacting patient safety and quality of care. Studies indicate that half of medical malpractice claims involve communication problems, either among professionals or between professionals and patients. In this context, the present study aimed to develop a hospital communication assessment scale-EACH (In Portuguese) focused on nursing teams, through a qualitative ethnographic approach conducted in a pediatric medical-surgical ward of a public hospital in São Luís, Brazil. Data collection included participant observation and a semi-structured questionnaire, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the communication dynamics, identification of failure factors, and analysis of the effectiveness of communication among nurses. Findings show that communication goes beyond information transmission: it is a relational, symbolic, and cultural process essential to integrality and continuity of care. The proposed scale represents an advance in the development of specific tools for communication assessment, contributing to improved care management, patient safety, and the strengthening of nursing’s role in the hospital environment.