Plain language from healthcare professionals can improve patient health

health, terminology, jargon

Health professional explaining the situation to patient's family members Source: Getty Images

Health professionals are being encouraged to use plain language that can easily be understood by everyone.


Highlights
  • Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show six out of 10 Australians have low health literacy
  • The Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health is asking health professionals to think about the language they use.
  • Health professionals avoided using the term "gestational diabetes" and instead called it "diabetes in pregnancy".
Health experts say it's a simple move that will help improve health outcomes for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.


 

 

 

'it's important to engage with people from different backgrounds and learn how they talk about health.' says Natalija Nesvadba,  manager of multicultural services at Mercy Health.

 

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