Did you know we have a Library? And that it’s free? And that you can use it, right now? There’s no shortage of resources out there on health communication, health literacy, digital health, and patient education. When there’s so much to wade through, it becomes more a question of where to start. At Health Communication […]
Learn two steps to help improve your health communication
“I was listening for the pain. I kept listening for the pain.” This was what a physician said during our debriefing after a role-play. She was the ‘attending,’ another physician played the ‘patient,’ and I was the observer. The role-play was a brief initial patient consultation. During the debrief, we were focused on communication. The […]
Addressing Implicit Bias Audiobook Bundle
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 […]
4 tips for sharing information with a patient or client
Last week, I was at the Chronic Disease Prevention Symposium, where I gave a plenary session on health literacy. After my talk, there was time for questions. Eventually, one physician raised his hand. Taking the microphone, he said he’d appreciated my talk. Then, he asked (as closely as I can recall): What if we need […]
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 […]
Two structural concerns that can bog down interprofessional communication
I was talking recently to a health administrator about communication between different groups in the hospital system. He said, “Interdepartmental communication has been historically very difficult. There were different incentives that made working together something people didn’t want to do. If your department didn’t make the numbers, you’re in trouble, you’re the one out of […]
