Recognized for research on the importance of communication in healthcare

Sophie Mårtensson, senior lecturer in Nursing at the University of Skövde, received an award for the best poster in the quantitative method category at an international conference in Iceland. Her research focuses on the role of communication in healthcare, with the potential to improve patient safety.

Sophie Mårtensson's research contributes to raising awareness of the crucial role of communication in the interaction between healthcare providers and patients.

The Nordic Conference in Nursing Research, held this year in Reykjavik, Iceland, brings together international experts, nurses, researchers, doctoral students, and healthcare students. At the conference, Sophie Mårtensson was honoured for her poster titled 'Development and Testing of an Observational Behavioral Instrument, The Caring Behavior Coding Scheme based on Swanson’s Theory of Caring.'

In essence, Sophie Mårtensson and other international experts have taken an established and recognized nursing theory and put it into practice. In this case, it takes the form of an observation scheme that can be used to evaluate healthcare providers' interactions with patients.

"It's an observation scheme that can be used in healthcare to assess one's and others' body language and verbal expressions. It can help healthcare personnel to better understand and communicate with patients, ultimately making healthcare safer and better for everyone" says Sophie Mårtensson.

Today, patient safety can be compromised due to poor communication between healthcare professionals and patients.

"My research is important because it has the potential to raise awareness and teach us how and what we convey through our body language and spoken words, in other words, how we communicate."

The scientific program at this year's Nordic Conference in Nursing Research focused on methods and networks for the future. The University of Skövde was well-represented with a total of thirteen researchers and doctoral students from the Wellbeing in Long-term Health Problems research group participating with posters and oral presentations on methods and projects that can contribute to both improved research and better health.