communication /kəmyo̅o̅′nikā″shən/ [L, communis, common] , any process in which a message containing information is transferred, especially from one person to another, by any of a number of media. Communication may be verbal or nonverbal; it may occur directly, such as in a face-to-face conversation or with the observation of a gesture; or it may occur remotely, spanning space and time, such as in writing and reading or in making or playing back of a recording. Communication is basic to all health care professions and contributes to the development of all therapeutic relationships. See also kinesics, therapeutic communication.
