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Communication in the ICU: An Unintended Nocebo Effect?
Irene Riestra Guiance1, Lindsey Wallace2, Katalin Varga3
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Journal of Patient Experience
|August 12, 2024
Summary
Critical care teams often use imprecise language, including jargon and metaphors, potentially harming patients emotionally. Further research is needed to understand the nocebo effect of these communication habits on critically ill patients.
Area of Science:
- Medical communication
- Critical care medicine
- Patient perception
Background:
- Imprecise language is frequently used by healthcare professionals.
- The impact of this language on critically ill patients is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify medical phrases used by critical care teams.
- To assess the potential negative emotional impact of these phrases on critically ill patients.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous surveys were administered to multi-professional critical care team members.
- Examples of imprecise language were collected and categorized.
Main Results:
- 1379 examples of imprecise language were collected from 265 providers.
- Medical jargon was the most prevalent category, followed by negative suggestions, hyperboles, homonyms, metonyms, and metaphors/similes.
- Phrases with the potential to negatively impact patient perceptions are common.
Conclusions:
- Everyday communication habits in critical care may have unintended negative consequences for patients.
- The potential nocebo effect of this language on mental health outcomes warrants further investigation.
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