Health Communications from a Linguist’s Perspective

Health Communications from a Linguist’s Perspective At the intersection of technology and innovation is improved healthcare communication.  Stanford Medicine X Conference, September 14-17, is an opportunity “to exchange bold new ideas about the future of medicine and the role technology will play in improving health.”  I'm proud to be participating in a panel discussion at Med X on Saturday, September 16.  My presentation explores the impact of social networks on interactions  between patients and their physicians as well as among patients and caregivers impacted by the same condition. Current issues impacting medical decision-making and health communication Among [...]

Patient-Centricity, Health Literacy and Pharma

Patient-Centricity, Health Literacy and Pharma According to an IBM white paper, “Patient-centric models put the needs of the patient first, but require greater patient responsibility and accountability.”1 This is a challenge.  Making the best possible decisions about one’s health requires a set of skills and resources that about 90 million people - nearly half the US adult population - lack.2 What is health literacy? Health literacy is “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions,”3  which is a simple way to [...]

How Does Pharma Learn To Speak “Patient”?

How Does Pharma Learn To Speak “Patient”? After passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in December 2016, speaking “patient,” is more essential than ever. What does speaking “patient” mean? Speaking “patient” means truly understanding and interpreting what patients are saying. That’s because the Act promotes “incorporating the patient perspective” more intentionally and systematically throughout the drug and device development process. As Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf explains, “This new law rightly recognizes that patients should play an essential role in the development of drugs and devices to diagnose and treat their disease, since patients [...]