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Patient communication: How to use your words

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, September 11, 2007

Do patients understand what your hospitalists tell them? A recent report found that nearly half of all American adults-90 million people-have difficulty understanding and using basic health information. The result is higher rates of hospitalization and use of emergency services. Patients who have difficulty reading and writing are at risk, but they aren't the only ones. Even an otherwise highly literate patient may have low health literacy.
Most healthcare workers know to avoid medical jargon when speaking with patients (e.g., using "harmless" versus "benign," "swelling" versus "edema"). But some seemingly simple words, such as those fitting in the categories below, can create confusion:

• One phrase, two interpretations. Even commonly used words such as "may," "might," and "suggest" can be difficult to understand. For example, consider the phrase, "This treatment may help." To scientists, this is generally understood as meaning that there is no conclusive evidence. However, to patients, this same statement may be interpreted as "this treatment will help." Make sure to explain what phrases such as these really mean.
• Acronyms and other new "words." Acronyms are made-up terms that use the first letters from words in a phrase. Sometimes acronyms sound like familiar words, such as CAT for "computed/computerized axial tomography." Other times, acronyms form new "words" (which really aren't words), such as ADL, which stands for "activities of daily living." To help patients better understand, write out the entire term the first that time you use it and put the acronym in parentheses alongside it (e.g., "blood pressure [BP]").
• Common words used in uncommon ways. Sometimes health professionals use common words in unusual ways. For example, providers might tell patients that they are "unremarkable," which is likely good news. But when providers talk about "positive" test results, this is probably not good at all. To improve communication, confirm that others correctly understand the concept that you are trying to convey.
  

Note: This information is excerpted from the August issue of HCPro's Private Practice Success (PPS). For more information about subscribing, go to www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-2080.html..

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