Linguistics in Healthcare
What is linguistics?
Linguistics is the science of studying language. According to the The University of California, Los Angeles Department of Linguistics, “the main goal of linguistics, like all other intellectual disciplines, is to increase our knowledge and understanding of the world. Since language is universal and fundamental to all human interactions, the knowledge attained in linguistics has many practical applications.”
Hop onto their website for an in-depth explanation of the field of study, including a video that expounds on it even more.
How is it used in healthcare, and why is it important?
While looking at effective communication between healthcare team members is important (after all, Rehabilitation Medicine requires a team approach), I am also interested in communicating messages to the patient and/or public effectively, translating doctor-speak to everyday language. I think this easy-to-read article clearly answers that question (and more).
Effective and clear messaging between healthcare workers and patients can enhance patient safety, reduce errors and enhance patient adherence to the management plan – that is, if the patient understands the reasoning behind a certain test or treatment and feels that they have a say in the decision-making process, they are more likely to follow the medical plan.
Aside from communication between the healthcare worker and the patient, communicating health topics to the general public is also important. Population health often depends on effective health promotion and education by government and non-government organizations – getting their messages out in a clear, understandable and engaging manner is important.
On the other side, effective communication leads to better health literacy (how well the general public understands their health and healthcare). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2030 initiative, health literacy involves the information and services that people need to make well-informed health decisions. With improved understanding health and healthcare issues, people are more likely to do what is good for their health.
Where can I find more information?
The Australian National University has an Institute for Communication in Healthcare (ICH) led by Professor Diana Slade. The ICH is part of an International Consortium for Communication in Healthcare formed in 2020. You can find a link to the webpages of member organizations on this page, and from there obtain more information about individual missions and research goals.
Here is a webpage that answers why communication is important to public health.
And here is another one with strategies for effective communication from Tulane University, Louisiana.
The US National Library of Medicine has an Introduction to Health Literacy on this page.
