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 […]
Patient Centered
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 […]
YOU can help redefine health literacy
Yes, YOU. You can help redefine health literacy. Right now! As long as you’re reading this before August 5, 2019, you can help redefine health literacy. I’ll share the news, the important details, and some resources to get your thoughts going. The news From a recent email update from the CDC: “The Department of Health […]
Infographic: 13 ways to reflect on patient/client communication
Here at Health Communication Partners, we think (and talk and write) about health communication all the time. It’s, y’know, in our name. Of all the possible ways of approaching the issue of communicating with patients, this is one of my favorites. That’s partly because when it comes to communicating as professionals, reflective practice can help […]
LGBTQ health disparities and microaggressions
June is Pride month, and a perfect time to think about the power of our everyday language. If you’ve read around this site or heard my podcast series, you know I’m one of the people interested in how health disparities are related to words, phrases and terms used around issues of health. So this is […]