Using natural language processing to explore differences in healthcare professionals' language on Functional...

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial in healthcare, especially for Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) patients who face misdiagnosis and stigma.
• Varied communication styles among healthcare professionals can negatively impact patient comprehension and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinician communication patterns in Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) using natural language processing (NLP).
• To compare language use and emotional tone in communication between neurologists and psychologists, and across different document types.

Main Methods:

• Utilized NLP, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and sentiment analysis (VADER, Flair).
• Analyzed 869 electronic health records (EHRs) focusing on clinician-to-clinician and clinician-to-patient communication regarding FND.

Main Results:

• Psychologists employed subjective experience terms (e.g., "trauma") and positive language for patient understanding.
• Neurologists used medicalized language (e.g., "seizures") and maintained a neutral or cautious tone.
• Distinct communication patterns and emotional tones were observed between neurologists and psychologists.

Conclusions:

• Differences in communication styles between specialists impact FND care.
• Standardized terminology and integrated care pathways are essential for improving FND patient outcomes.
• Further research is needed to understand how communication influences patient experience and treatment adherence.