This National Minority Health Month, it’s worth reminding ourselves that communication is directly tied to outcomes.
“Patient-clinician communication (PCC) may generate or reduce healthcare disparities,” according to Eliseo J Perez-Stable, Director of National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Communicating with Diverse Patients: How Patient and Clinician Factors Affect Disparities, emphasis mine).
Ineffective communication can generate healthcare disparities. 20 years ago, the Institute of Medicine told us in Unequal Treatment that “disadvantaged patients may be sicker partly because of the way in which they and their doctors communicate.”
But it’s not all bad news. As I’ve said before: if communication is powerful enough to contribute to inequalities, it’s powerful enough to help reduce them.
Equitable, effective communication may reduce healthcare disparities. There is a positive relationship between patient-provider communication and health outcomes. There’s a wealth of research data that supports the benefits of effective communication.
Here’s an infographic that reminds us of some of what we lose when we forget to focus on communication–and what we stand to gain. There’s also a podcast episode. If your organization needs support with more effective, equitable communication, sign up for our courses, or contact me.
