Illness is Tough on Everyone: How Do We Talk About It?

The program explored how breakdowns in communication can occur between patients, families, and healthcare providers. Patients and families may experience frustration with delivery of medical care, feeling misunderstood and dissatisfied. Healthcare providers face their own challenges in meeting the diverse needs of today’s patient populations. Health literacy, racial and cultural differences and non-traditional lifestyles have been shown to affect communication and delivery of care.

Watch to see our program panelists, Jim and Kim Baker, patient and spouse; Patricia Johnson, RN; John Hearst, MD; and moderator, Bernard Bandman, PhD have a discussion with Q&A that addressed barriers and solutions to effective communication for patients of all backgrounds.