Communication in a Medical Emergency: The Influence of Intergroup Communication on Frontline Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health

Abstract

Hospitals involve a complex socio-technical health system, where communication failures influence the quality of patient care. Research indicates the importance of social identity and intergroup relationships articulated through power, control, status and competition. In particular, Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) is clinical workplaces in which doctors are involved in many social groups, including representatives of different professions, clinical specialities and workplace teams under crisis handling condition. A web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out between 1 and 12 December 2022 on a Jakarta area sample of 53 HCWs in Indonesia. The study questionnaire included 7 questions on the mental health of HCWs post-COVID-19 crisis and was analysed using Leximancer (text mining software) and interpretation of major themes. Findings indicated that intergroup conflict is a central influence on communication. Contested responsibilities emerged from a model of care driven by single-speciality professional identity and professionalism may be viewed in terms of self-categorisation rather than simply attainment. The salience of different identities may be considered as influences on teamwork and interprofessional learning, and issues in communication and assessment may be considered in terms of intergroup biases. These results contribute to the growing literature on communication organization and offer new practical insights on how to improve overall efficiency and work performance under crisis conditions.