I’ve recently taught three classes about communication in healthcare. They were for different groups – physicians, clinical and clerical staff, and public health. Yet there was one consistent challenge across all participants: stopping to take a good, clear look at their own communication. Today, I thought I’d ask you a question I asked in my […]
Reflective Practice
It’s the 50th episode of 10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication
Thank you, everyone! It’s our 50th episode today! Without you, we would not have gotten here. You may know I co-produce the “10 Minutes to Better Patient Communication” series with my brother Joe. What you might not know is why we do this, and what goes into it. A while back, I asked Joe what […]
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 […]
How common terminology may perpetuate mental health stigma
A few weeks ago, I read a tweet from Dr. Javeed Sukhera about terminology and mental health. The tweet had ‘gone viral,’ and it’s stayed in my mind since then. Next time someone says "mental health" what if we took out "mental" and just said "health?" "I need time off for my health." "I need […]
4 ways to help resist a deficit perspective
Deficit perspectives are sneaky. Maybe the better word is ‘insidious.’ They can worm their way quietly into our work. And when there, they do real damage. Maybe you’ve heard the term. If not, it’s a tendency to maintain a focus on negative instances, examples, or qualities. Like seeing patients as passive recipients. Or centering on what […]