The Language of Medicine

Words and language have a powerful impact on interactions between physicians and patients. Words may heal or harm and language shapes how we see the world. For example, metaphors of wars and the military are ubiquitous and the militarized discourse has unforeseen effects on doctors and patients. Doctors are cast as fighters and patients become passive battlefields. Words must be managed as carefully as drugs, tailored to provide benefits to the individual, and prescribed with care to avoid toxicity. The book emphasizes the importance of physicians who listen, clinical presence, and a relational model of medical care.