Overuse of medical jargon a barrier to communication with patients
Residency Program Insider, March 17, 2017
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Insider!
Since only 12% of U.S. adults are considered to be highly proficient in health literacy—the ability to find, understand, and use health information—physicians should not assume patients understand what they’re being told. Overuse of medical terminology can further inhibit patients’ ability to filter out facts critical to their decision-making process, according to an article published in the AMA Journal of Ethics.
To prevent barriers to communication with patient, the article’s authors suggest physicians use the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit. Following the series of steps outlined in the toolkit can ensure patients understand relevant information in order to participate in the shared decision-making process with their physicians.
Source: AMA Journal of Ethics
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Residency Program Insider!
Related Products
-
Residency Program Alert
Residency program managers in all specialties are challenged to effectively manage their programs as accrediting agencies...
-
Residency Program Insider
Residency Program Connection is devoted to bringing residency directors and coordinators expert advice, best practice...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Follow 72-hour and 24-hour rules
- Complications from immobility by body system
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- Skills of effective case managers
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- Prevent dehydration with nursing interventions
- Neurological checks for head injuries
- Know guidelines and subtle differences in code descriptions for laceration repairs
- E-mailed
- Searched
