Dr. Pauline Chen's column in the New York Times last week examined patients with limited health literacy and the effect that has on their health. Doctors talk and patients don't always listen and doctors get blamed for talking over patients heads. But as some of the commenters on Dr. Chen's column pointed out, communication is always a two-way street. If patients don't understand, shouldn't they ask more questions? Shouldn't patients be proactive participants in their own care? But how can the patients ask questions if they don't have a relationship with their doctor, don't trust their doctor, are intimidated by their doctor?
There are no easy answers in human communication.
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