Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Giving cross-cultural communication its due

"Training in body language is essential for the IT and tourism sectors in India to maintain their edge in the global market."

Venugopal S. Reddiar

Misunderstanding created by lack of communication is responsible for allegations of negligence and violent outbursts against doctors, says this cross-cultural communication specialist in a chat with T. Nandakumar.

Many incidents of violence against hospitals and doctors in the State are caused by poor interpersonal and communication skills of the doctors. The situations could have been averted if the patients or those accompanying them were properly briefed about the diagnosis and the risk factors, according to U.S.-based training and development consultant Venugopal S. Reddiar who specialises in cross-cultural communication.

Dr. Reddiar believes that misunderstanding created by lack of communication is responsible for allegations of negligence and violent outbursts. "Take the case of an accident victim who is brought to hospital. The doctor examines him and fixes surgery some hours later because the patient has had food just before the accident occurred. The bystanders are not informed about the reasons for the delay. They cannot make sense of the esoteric medical terminology in the conversation between the doctor and his assistants.

"In the meantime, if the patient develops some complication, the relatives jump to the conclusion that the doctor was negligent or was expecting a bribe. Boiling with anger, they attack the hospital. This is a typical case. The situation could have been averted if the doctor had taken pains to explain the situation in the layman's language," he says.

Dr. Reddiar, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, completed his MBBS and MD at Medical College here before earning his FRCP degree from the U.K. Specialising in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, he began practising in Iowa City, U.S., where he developed a passion for cross-cultural communication.

"In U.S. universities, behavioural studies focussed on cross-cultural customs and beliefs rather than body language. This led to a lot of conflicts in the workplace. I found that shifting the focus to body language could solve many of the problems," he says.

"The same gesture could mean different things for people of different nationalities. Eye contact could mean aggression for some people, while for others it translates into a candid, honest approach. Giggling and crossing the arms over the chest could also mean different things," Dr. Reddiar says.

U.S. diplomats are given crash courses in body language before going to another country. "Once during a trip to Australia, the former president Richard Nixon gave a V-sign before boarding the aircraft. The next day, Australian newspapers said he had insulted the country. The V-sign signifies an offensive gesture in Australia," he says.

A keen understanding of body language is essential for a medical student, he says. "Gestures and expressions can give vital clues to accurate diagnosis. The doctor should listen with his eyes. If a patient clenches his fist to his chest to indicate pain, there is every chance it could be angina. On the other hand, if he uses a pointed finger to signal a shooting pain, it may have nothing to do with the heart."

From a passing interest, body language slowly grew into a passion for Dr. Reddiar. Last year, he made a complete switchover from medicine to communication, adding stress management and yoga to his repertoire of training skills. He handles training sessions for banks, universities, software houses and industries.

Training in body language is essential for the IT and tourism sectors in India to maintain their edge in the global market. There is need to include the subject in the curriculum for MBA and mass media courses. "It is no longer an option today; it is a necessity for cross-cultural competence," he says.

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