Unpleasant hashtag
There is a row on medical Twitter at the moment. It’s been caused by tweets under the hashtag #DoctorsAreDickheads. I want to write about this row, because, perhaps unsurprisingly, the row is about communication rights. Who can say what and what it means – a problem for a linguist. Continue reading “Unpleasant hashtag”
How medicine discovered small talk
Some time ago my Twitter timeline had references to a little article on The Virtues of Irrelevance. I quite like the text, although more the sentiment behind it. And yet, I want to comment on it, because the authors really get all wrong. The issue is not irrelevance at all. I think. Continue reading “How medicine discovered small talk”
On why I don’t want to see a doctor
I need to see a doctor. I’m slightly worried about something, but I’ve been putting the visit off for some time now. And as I hover between the feeling it’s really time and that it’s not so bad yet, I also wonder how many doctors reflect on this. Continue reading “On why I don’t want to see a doctor”
Healthcare labels. A linguist’s contribution
My Twitter timeline has again sported a discussion on whether patients are patients, or perhaps service users or something yet different. I must admit that I find such discussions quite moot. But I would like to suggest a bit of linguistic realism, so that the discussions might become a bit more useful. Continue reading “Healthcare labels. A linguist’s contribution”