When you communicate with patients, you’re not just sharing facts. You’re building trust and a shared understanding. Thinking about health literacy can help. And it’s health literacy month, so what better time? Research suggests that health professionals’ own comfort with health literacy matters in patient communication. So if you communicate with patients in some way, […]
Lakshmi Grama on how people affected by cancer helped shape Cancer.gov’s Clinical Trials Information (Part 2)
In Part 2 of my interview with Lakshmi Grama, we find out what happened when the NCI team involved people affected by cancer in naming a new part of the cancer.gov website. Lakshmi also reveals how NCI was already exploring the possibilities of generative AI for precision communication about cancer. Missed Part 1 of our […]
8 Years on-air for 10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication
This week marks 8 years since we released our very first episode of 10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication. Back then, I recorded on a matchbox-sized Samson travel mic that my brother Joe gave me, plugged into my very heavy laptop. I’m grateful to my brother and that tiny mic for making the show possible. […]
Lakshmi Grama on how people affected by cancer helped shape Cancer.gov’s Clinical Trials Information (Part 1)
Today I get to talk with Lakshmi Grama, former Associate Director for Dissemination and Digital Communications at the National Cancer Institute. She shares stories of early days at NCI, bringing everyone to the table, and power dynamics in health information. Communication about clinical trials is a very specialized part of health communication, but stories from […]
Reflection as a foundation for communication
Reflecting on our communication offers us new ways to approach old problems. Whether it’s leading a meeting, supporting patient understanding, or navigating cultural differences, reflection is a foundation for thoughtful, effective communication. It invites us to unlearn some of what we take for granted, and unleash our individual and collective knowledge. You may have heard […]
Two episodes, Top 5%, and a lot to process
We didn’t expect this. You might not have either. Turns out, trust is resonating. Our last two episodes both landed in the Top 5% of downloads of all podcasts worldwide. Before we move forward, let’s sit with this. Hi everybody and hi to our new listeners. Our last two episodes made quite a splash so […]