Addressing Implicit Bias Audiobook Bundle There are subtle ways our everyday language can unintentionally disadvantage certain social or cultural groups. What’s more, ordinary institutional policies and practices can unwittingly reflect bias. Based in decades of research on bias in language and policy, these materials share a commitment to reducing health disparities. research-based steps you can […]
13 prompts to help you reflect on your patient communication
As you might expect, I often talk with providers about their patient communication, and sometimes those providers are physicians. As with any providers, physicians have their own reasons for seeking some communication support. For instance, one physician put it to me this way: “I do some of the right stuff you’re talking about, but I […]
Health literacy as an interaction, Part 2
“We’re burned by, ‘Tell ‘em what they need to know, and hope they heard.’ It’s the cultural legacy…” A surgeon told me this when we were talking about health literacy. His candor startled me. He went on to make the point that he was convinced he (and his colleagues) could be doing better. Despite […]
5 Tips to help your interprofessional communication
Over the last six weeks, four different health care professionals have asked me about interprofessional communication. Two were public health administrators, one was a medical educator, and one was a physician-administrator. All four were in different organizations. I don’t know why the sudden uptick. But I am taking notice, and taking this chance to share […]
3 Quick ways to improve your day-to-day patient communication
The providers I speak with know that communication is central to their ability to do their jobs well. They know how much patient education matters to outcomes, short-term and long term. They want to get through to every patient, not just some of them. I join my voice with those who make issues of patient communication and education central […]
One thought on health communication and chronic disease
“Well, like the food for instance, it wasn’t a very extensive list of what you could eat, it was very limited and most of the food I eat wasn’t on it…” (participant, Carolan Gill & Steele 2012) You can’t be in health communication and health literacy without hearing about chronic disease, non-communicable diseases, and disease […]
