Health communication has been an issue in my life lately, especially in the last few years, but it is an issue I can influence. My mother was in and out of the hospital. Therefore I have attended many meetings with doctors and surgeons, where I only understand a quarter of what they say. This article will focus on the social psychological traditions involved in the field of health communication, how they impact my life, and what I can do to fix the problem. Although doctors don't do it on purpose, the terms they use make them seem unempathetic towards families. Most of these doctors shared information with me about my mother's chronic illness, but I was unable to understand most of it due to the medical terminology used. I think if doctors took the time to really get to know a patient and their families, they would be able to connect with them more than they would just be with another sick person in a bed. In this way, families would feel more comfortable with doctors, they would gain confidence in them and in the decisions they are making. Since my stepfather is an oncologist, he's been helpful to me because he's able to break down the big words and explain, in layman's terms, what's wrong with my mother. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Much of the work that has been done, regarding health communication, has been in the social psychological tradition. This essay will examine several theorists and their opinions on healthcare communication between doctors and patients. The social psychological tradition looks at the scientific perspective of things which is done through experiments and tests to find credibility. One of the main ideas of the social-psychological tradition is to look at the cause and effect outcome of the experiments conducted. The first psychologist we will look at is Hannah Bayne. Hannah talks about when patients express their concerns, doctors often change the subject or focus on the medical treatment rather than the emotional concern. Unfortunately, when this happens, patients see the message: “that's not what we're here to talk about.” Many patients often want to talk to their doctors about all the fears that accompany their illness. Although doctors do not intend to do so, they often appear to show no emotion towards what patients are feeling. Lack of empathy from doctors makes patients afraid to talk to their doctors about their illnesses. [Patients] are afraid of just being sidelined. (Bayne) Another psychologist who has delved into the field of health communication is Thompson. He observed more the tension between doctors and patients. Thompson talks about how doctors fail to take patients' values, beliefs, and emotions into consideration. During an interview, a doctor said: “explaining the disease is more than simply processing clear and in-depth information; rather, it is about processing beliefs and uncertainties about health in the context of related beliefs and values ​​that constitute our sense of self, roles, and relationships through interactions with healthcare providers, loved ones, and others.” As outsiders we think it's quite easy for doctors, we think all they have to do is report their findings to us in medical terminology. It's not that easy for them, there are many things that go into the field of medicine. A doctor must look beyond the patient's outer layer; they have to look at values, beliefs, etc. of the patient. (Thompson TL, 6) One thing I want aboutconcentrate, and which I will mention later, is the terminology used by doctors when communicating with their patients. Bigi is another social psychological theorist who focuses on the use of "expert-non-expert" interactions and how one of the defining characteristics is that there is no or very little knowledge shared between subjects. This means that, whether you are a certified doctor or just an average Joe, there is little to no knowledge shared between people when it comes to medical terminology. It is difficult to feel comfortable with a doctor when he uses medical terminology that appears to be a foreign language, and this can cause people to question their choice of medical care. (Bigi, 12) Mary Talen is a psychologist who conducts a “study that helps patients structure their communication using a written format that can facilitate doctor-patient communication. Patients may become more skilled at describing their health problems, organizing their needs and questions, and being proactive, which may have a positive effect on the quality of doctor-patient communication during office visits.” This demonstrates how the patient's role in the communication process has received little attention, and how decision-making skills depend on communication between doctors and patients. The overall goal of this study was to help/teach patients to be more affective in how they communicate with their doctors. (Talen, 4) Now that we have taken a look at the social psychological tradition, I want to look at two traditions that I think should be involved in health communication; semiotic and rhetorical traditions. These traditions offer the advantage of terminology and a space created for the doctor and patients. In today's society there can be some confusion regarding communication between doctors and patients and their families. This problem invites rhetorical and semiotic analysis. The semiotic tradition focuses on signs and symbols; pure and simple. We can see how the semiotic tradition comes into play with healthcare communication in the way that doctors use confusing medical terminology while communicating with patients and the patient's family members can simply drive them into a state of panic. I would like to take a look at the work of Arthur Berger, who devoted much of his time to the study of semiotics. I think Berger would say that doctors are confusing semiotics by creating great anxiety in their patients. The fact that doctors use big words when telling a patient their results can scare almost anyone, so big words don't help. However, I cannot place all the blame on the doctors. Health communication requires patients to be more medically educated. Doctors use words that don't sit well with their audience; poorly chosen words for their listeners; words that eliminate the role of emotion in doctor-patient or doctor-family interactions. There is nothing wrong with medical terminology, as long as it isn't placed in the middle of painful circumstances. The doctors are well educated and there is something wonderful about their terminology. The doctor can actually provide some comfort by being an expert. If the doctor actually has a name for something that causes a person a lot of pain or fear, the term (even if it is very broad and aggressive) can give the patient hope. If there's a name, maybe there's a cure. It's not just the big medical terms that matter, it's also how the words are used and how the doctor recognizes patients as human beings. It's not the choice of words to use, but how the words are used. There are some things doctors can do to help the patientto feel more comfortable, as well as the reduction/explanation of medical terminology. However, one thing doctors can do is connect on a personal level with their patients. Dr. Steven Abramson says, “I think all of us, as doctors, should understand that our primary role is not just to help people, but to truly understand them and to make every encounter with a patient something that they leave feeling "better." (Moisse, 2) The doctor's first and foremost goal is not just to help people, but they need to be able to connect with their patients, so that the patient can trust them. “You have to know their life, their home, their social network,” said Matthew Mercuri, a first-year medical student at Langone, “You have to have a complete picture to be able to understand how the disease plays. " (Moisse, 2) When focusing more on the rhetorical approach, which is my identity and how it affects me as a suffering family member, in this essay we will examine the aspects of “feelings” and the use of empathy on the part of the doctor in communication. We will also take a look at how doctor talk seems to be repeated and the effect it has on patients and even patients' families. “The rhetorician aims to find what is right, suitable and appropriate to the situation in need of help." (Hyde, 46) This constitutes the perfect example of how Hyde tells us that, when communicating, there is a specific type of rhetoric to be use for every situation in life. Look at Hyde's works, he deals with the term "space." Within this space we, as individuals, are able to feel involved in the world and feel like we have a say in decision making. Doctors deal with ethics and must realize this in order to live well and think well. their patients need a space to openly and comfortably discuss medical issues with them without feeling ignorant. If doctors don't recognize the pain and history that each patient has, it seems like the only thing they care about is the patient's illness, not their disease. To understand this, we must look deeper into the meanings of space and ethics. Space has to do with recognition, Hyde says that “Recognition provides an opening to such a distressing situation, since the act of recognizing is an experience a communicative behavior that grants attention to others and therefore makes space for them in the our life. With this added living space comes the opportunity for a new beginning, a "second chance" by which one might improve one's lot in life. There is hope to be found in this transformation of space and time as people's consciousness chooses to do everything to make us feel wanted and needed, to praise our presence and actions, and therefore to recognize the value of our existence . Offering positive recognition is a moral thing to do.” (Hyde, 1). Ethos, on the other hand, is “the recognition that an environment is created in which people can take the time to “learn together” about some topic of interest. Recognition is an act oriented towards what is other than the person performing the act; works to liberate a “home” in space and time where other people and things can be carefully observed and listened to. (Hyde, 60) There is a psychologist called Colleen Fogarty who also looks at the relationship between the doctor and the patient. “For some patients, doctors can be like extended family members, influencing their lives throughout the life cycle. The history of patients' relationships with doctors in the past can have a significant impact on their relationship with doctors in the present." Fogarty is examining.