Abstract

The effectiveness of communication in the context of health care delivery is increasingly emphasized and discussed, not only because of the importance of the relationship established between the health care professional and the patient, but also because it increases the overall quality of care. Ineffective communication is the consequence of the existence of communicative barriers resulting from the patient's own health/emergency situation and/or pre-existing communicative conditions. The mission of this chapter is to present materials that facilitate communication in the provision of health care in different contexts and to identify some related needs. Communication Facilitating Materials were searched on different databases, books and several reference sites. The authors identified (n=79) and grouped into three categories: communication support, information to professionals and to preparation/anticipation of situations. The results highlight the need to develop more materials to enhance communication in health care services as an integral component of population health promotion.