When this physician was diagnosed with cancer, she confronted her assumptions about patients, communication, and education. Board-certified family physician Dr. Beverly Zavaleta tells us what happened, and how it changed her practice. Listen below, or read the transcript. At Health Communication Partners, we work quite a lot with communication between patients and clinicians. But what happens […]
Clinical Communication
How can patients’ misconceptions be helpful?
An Ob-Gyn told me, with some frustration, that she regularly encounters adult patients who have misconceptions about basic female anatomy. An Ob-patient educator agreed: “Sure. I’m often saying to patients, ‘our plumbing and our other parts are close together down there.’” Whether it’s about anatomy or something else, misconceptions happen. Patients may walk into the […]
Taking another look at implicit bias
Many of you read this site and tune in to our podcast series because you value reflective practice, thoughtful and intentional use of language, and reducing health disparities. You’re aware by now that health disparities are due to many factors that are man-made. And that one of them is implicit or unconscious bias. You probably […]
Health Communication People I’m thankful for
I’m writing this on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. What better time to think about, and thank, the people who have made this year delightful, and meaningful, at HCP. The last few months, we’ve begun interviewing health communication rockstars for “10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication.” I’m thankful to our guests for sharing their stories, […]
Dr. Jane Shaw on end-of-life conversations in Veterinary Medicine
“Pets don’t live as long as people do.” With this simple truth, Dr. Jane Shaw introduced me to the realities of end-of-life conversations in Veterinary Medicine. She added, “For us, end of life communication and practice is core to being a vet.” I was lucky enough to interview Dr. Shaw recently for our podcast series. […]
Interview w/Dr. Paul Ranelli about “Giving and gathering” information
Time is always a factor for health providers, and Pharmacists are no exception. When time is tight during the patient encounter, education can feel rushed, or rote. Yet when there’s little time, it’s especially important to be thoughtful and strategic about education. In an interview for “10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication,” Dr. Paul Ranelli […]