Navigating Medical Language: Challenges and Importance of Clear Communication Between Physicians and Patients within the Croatian Healthcare System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15291/csi.5074Keywords:
Croatian healthcare system, medical language, medical terminology, physician-patient communication, specialised languageAbstract
Medical language is a specialised form of communication used by healthcare professionals in their daily practice and medical research. It is strongly influenced by globalisation and advancements in technology and science, leading to the continuous evolution of medical vocabulary and the development of new terms and meanings. Communication in healthcare depends on mutual understanding between physicians and their patients. However, this understanding is often hindered by the gap between the everyday language used by patients and the medical language used by physicians, which can create a communication barrier. A lack of comprehension and clear communication between patients and physicians may results in disagreements, conflicts, and even medical errors. This study examines how the use of medical language and terminology can impede communication with patients and explores the strategies that both patients and physicians use to achieve mutual understanding. The data analysed in this study were collected during fieldwork conducted in Zagreb between 2017 and 2020 using semi-structured interviews. This paper draws on the data from eleven semi-structured interviews in which medical language was identified as significant. Five interviews were conducted with healthcare users who had various health conditions and treatments, and six with physicians from different medical specialties. The study’s limited number of interlocutors is not intended to offer a general account of communication issues in Croatia’s public healthcare system. Instead, the research focuses on how wider systemic processes are reflected in the distinct experiences and perspectives of individual participants. These lived experiences highlight the continual importance of personal interaction and communication in patient–physician relationships and the effect it has on healthcare outcomes. However, despite advances in digital technologies and communication that can serve as a helpful tool in bridging communication gaps, improving communication is challenging within a strained healthcare system marked by staff shortages, long waiting times, regional disparities, and low wages.
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