On ‘private parts’
The Guardian reports another victory of ‘ordinary’ over medical language. Their lead reads: The health service is ditching words such as faeces, urine and vomit in favour of simpler language that everyone can understand. Fair enough? Well, not exactly.
Continue reading “On ‘private parts’”There is no language…
Over the years, I’ve often heard people say that either they or others don’t have the language to describe something, or, upping the ante, that there is no language to describe something. I think neither sentence is plausible and this post is about why I think that.
Continue reading “There is no language…”The unbearable simplicity of clinical consultation
When I read titles such as “What Are We Really Talking About?” I start wondering. The ‘really’ is so out of place. So, when this title appeared in my Twitter timeline I rushed to see what I ‘really’ have missed in clinical communication. Here is what I found out and why I suggest that the adverb ‘really’ be used with much more caution.
Continue reading “The unbearable simplicity of clinical consultation”Who owns language?
Everyday my Twitter timeline contains instructions how to speak. This week it was ‘stigma’, ‘discharge’, ‘commit’ (which is a standing item in such discussions), ‘patient’ and probably a few others which I don’t remember. So, I started wondering who owns language and, more particularly, who has the right to tell me how to speak.
Continue reading “Who owns language?”