NCRI 2016 | How we talk about cancer to patients – what helthcare professionals should know

Elena Semino, PhD, of Lancaster University, UK, provides a take-home message for doctors and healthcare professionals with regards to communication and cancer. There is evidence that fighting language can be harmful and it is never a good idea to use it initially; healthcare professional in the UK are aware of this. The second message is to be conscious that different people use and need a different kind of language at different points in their experience. Healthcare professionals need to be sensitive to what patients are saying and work with that language. These approaches will allow for a more effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients. Recorded at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference in Liverpool, UK.