Large sets of quantitative data are irreplacable resources in medicine and public health. But there are many important questions large data sets weren’t designed to answer, questions where on-the-ground research is needed. In this episode, I sample some crucial contributions ethnography has made to what we know about the influence of context on thinking, communication, […]
Clinical Communication
Watch now: New play and documentary about rare diseases
An exciting new play and documentary about rare diseases, told from the perspectives of patients and their families, is now available to the public. “RARE: Stories of Dis-ease” is a play about the often-hidden experiences of people with rare diseases. The play’s last performance by the Sod House Theater production company was filmed and is […]
Our Top 10 Most Popular Episodes of 2022
It’s the countdown time of year! Catch up really quickly on what everyone was listening to from “10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication.” This episode is about the Top 10 most downloaded episodes from 2022. You’re reflective. You get how much communication is connected to equity. You get how the ways we educate are connected […]
25 ways to elicit important patient information
A Family Practice Physician recently spoke to a group I was in. He underscored the importance of follow-up questions, even when they seem irrelevant or off-topic. The example he used was asking a patient, “Do you smoke?” If their answer is “no,” there’s danger in your briskly moving on to the next issue. He said […]
Episode 138 Dr. Paul Ranelli and using the arts to explore rare diseases
It’s a paradox that rare diseases are not so rare; one in ten people has a rare disease. Yet each rare disease, and each person’s experience with a rare disease, is different. This makes for complex communication with family and health professionals. Hear how Dr. Paul Ranelli uses the arts to delve into the complexities […]
Episode 136 “10 Minutes” is 5!
Every 2 weeks for 5 years, “10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication” has been bringing you new avenues into health communication, patient education and health literacy. Find out how one physician answered the question “what is health literacy,” and hear the new sound we got for our birthday! Happy Birthday, “10 Minutes!” For 5 years, […]





