Plain language communication as a priority competency for medical professionals in a globalized world

Authors

  • Fiona Warde Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
  • Janet Papadakos Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
  • Tina Papadakos Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
  • Danielle Rodin Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
  • Mohammad Salhia University Health Network
  • Meredith Giuliani Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.36848

Keywords:

patient education, plain language, globalization, health literacy, english proficiency, education, medical education, training, competency

Abstract

This brief report aims to highlight the impact of globalization – the international movement of goods, people, and ideas – on patient-provider communication in medical training and practice, and how the implementation of plain language communication training as a core competency for care providers can mitigate this impact. Globalization influences both patient and provider population diversity, which presents challenges with regard to patient-provider communication, particularly in cases of limited health literacy. Plain language communication - the delivery of information in a simple, succinct, and accurate manner - can help address these challenges. Training in plain language communication, however, is not a part of standard education for health care providers. Based on a synthesis of relevant literature pertaining to globalization, plain language communication, and medical education curricula, it is hoped that the information presented establishes the need for plain language communication as a core competency in medical education to enable providers to better meet the needs of an increasingly globalized health system.

Downloads

Published

2018-06-01

How to Cite

1.
Warde F, Papadakos J, Papadakos T, Rodin D, Salhia M, Giuliani M. Plain language communication as a priority competency for medical professionals in a globalized world. Can. Med. Ed. J [Internet]. 2018 Jun. 1 [cited 2025 Apr. 6];9(2):e52-59. Available from: https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cmej/article/view/36848

Issue

Section

Original Research
Crossref
51
Scopus
Célia Felícia Belim Rodrigues (2022)
Handbook of Research on Assertiveness, Clarity, and Positivity in Health Literacy. Advances in Medical Education, Research, and Ethics, 316.
10.4018/978-1-7998-8824-6.ch018
Hila Milo Rasouly, Nicole Cuneo, Maddalena Marasa, Natalia DeMaria, Debanjana Chatterjee, Jacqueline J. Thompson, David A. Fasel, Julia Wynn, Wendy K. Chung, Paul Appelbaum, Chunhua Weng, Suzanne Bakken, Ali G. Gharavi (2021)
GeneLiFT: A novel test to facilitate rapid screening of genetic literacy in a diverse population undergoing genetic testing. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 30(3), 742.
10.1002/jgc4.1364
Bradley W. Weaver, Paige R. Gannon, Joel M. Mumma (2024)
The Nexus between Nursing and Patient Safety. 241.
10.1007/978-3-031-53158-3_13
Rita Francisco, Susana Alves, Catarina Gomes, Pedro Granjo, Carlota Pascoal, Sandra Brasil, Alice Neves, Inês Santos, Andrea Miller, Donna Krasnewich, Eva Morava, Christina Lam, Jaak Jaeken, Paula A. Videira, Vanessa dos Reis Ferreira (2022)
A Participatory Framework for Plain Language Clinical Management Guideline Development. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13506.
10.3390/ijerph192013506
Kristin M Lenoir, Joanne C Sandberg, David P Miller, Brian J Wells (2023)
Patient Perspectives on a Targeted Text Messaging Campaign to Encourage Screening for Diabetes: Qualitative Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7, e41011.
10.2196/41011
Ashaka Patel, Claire A. Wilson, Jacob Davidson, Jennifer Y. Lam, Natashia M. Seemann (2024)
A Social Media Blueprint – Understanding What Makes the Optimal Social Media Account for Paediatric Surgical Families. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 59(5), 768.
10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2024.01.031
Maryke Peter, Stacy Maddocks, Clarice Tang, Pat G Camp (2024)
Simplicity: Using the Power of Plain Language to Encourage Patient-Centered Communication. Physical Therapy, 104(1),
10.1093/ptj/pzad103
Takayuki Oshimi (2024)
Developing a clinician-friendly rubric for assessing history-taking skills in medical undergraduates speaking English as a foreign language. MedEdPublish, 14, 11.
10.12688/mep.19911.1
Leia Martínez Silvagnoli, Caroline Shepherd, James Pritchett, Jason Gardner (2022)
Optimizing Readability and Format of Plain Language Summaries for Medical Research Articles: Cross-sectional Survey Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(1), e22122.
10.2196/22122
Polina Zmijewski, Kenneth A. Lynch, Brenessa Lindeman, Thomas R. Vetter (2022)
Narrative Medicine: Perioperative Opportunities and Applicable Health Services Research Methods. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 134(3), 564.
10.1213/ANE.0000000000005867
Raj Swaroop Lavadi, Ben Carnovale, Zayaan Tirmizi, Avi A. Gajjar, Rohit Prem Kumar, Manan J. Shah, D. Kojo Hamilton, Nitin Agarwal (2025)
Examining the Readability of AtlasGPT, the Premiere Resource for Neurosurgical Education. World Neurosurgery, 194, 123469.
10.1016/j.wneu.2024.11.052
Aria Grabowski, Sophie Branham, Olivia S. Anderson (2024)
Evaluation of Gender-Identity Inclusive Language Used in U.S. Hospital Breastfeeding Education Materials. Breastfeeding Medicine, 19(12), 969.
10.1089/bfm.2024.0166
Nikhil V. Kotha, Kripa Guram, Kylie Morgan, Leah Deshler, Derek Brown, Dominique Rash, Brandon Dyer, Michael McHale, Catheryn Yashar, Daniel Scanderbeg, John Einck, Jyoti Mayadev (2023)
A randomized patient education trial investigating treatment-related distress and satisfaction with the use of an at-home gynecologic brachytherapy educational video. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 33(7), 1125.
10.1136/ijgc-2023-004331
Thái Bình Trần, Meghan Ambrens, Jennifer Nguyễn, Eve Coleman, Yannick Gilanyi, Meg Letton, Anurag Pandit, Logan Lock, Jeanette M Thom, Shaundeep Sen, Kelly Lambert, Ria Arnold (2024)
Preferences of people with chronic kidney disease regarding digital health interventions that promote healthy lifestyle: qualitative systematic review with meta-ethnography. BMJ Open, 14(5), e082345.
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082345
Alessandra Rossetti, Patrick Cadwell, Sharon O’Brien (2020)
HCI International 2020 – Late Breaking Papers: Universal Access and Inclusive Design. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 12426, 699.
10.1007/978-3-030-60149-2_53
Brian Ondov, Kush Attal, Dina Demner-Fushman (2022)
A survey of automated methods for biomedical text simplification. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(11), 1976.
10.1093/jamia/ocac149
Jianming He, Ashley Duenas, Hannah Collacott, Annette Lam, Katharine S. Gries, Robin Carson, Dietrich Potthoff, Nicola Trevor, Tommi Tervonen (2021)
Patient Perceptions Regarding Multiple Myeloma and Its Treatment: Qualitative Evidence from Interviews with Patients in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The Patient - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, 14(5), 613.
10.1007/s40271-021-00501-7
Christabel K Cheung, Reginald Tucker-Seeley, Simon Davies, Megan Gilman, Kimberly A Miller, Gilberto Lopes, Gail D Betz, Thuli Katerere-Virima, Laura E Helbling, Bria N Thomas, Mark A Lewis (2021)
A Call to Action: Antiracist Patient Engagement in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Research and Advocacy. Future Oncology, 17(28), 3743.
10.2217/fon-2020-1213
J. A. M van der Giessen, M. G. E. M. Ausems, E. van Riel, A. de Jong, M. P. Fransen, S. van Dulmen (2021)
Development of a plain-language guide for discussing breast cancer genetic counseling and testing with patients with limited health literacy. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(6), 2895.
10.1007/s00520-020-05800-7
Evangelia Kalaitzoglou, Edna Majaliwa, Margaret Zacharin, Carine de Beaufort, Jean-Pierre Chanoine, Conny van Wijngaard-DeVugt, Ervin Sperla, Annemieke M Boot, Stenvert L S Drop (2020)
Multilingual Global E-Learning Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Curriculum for Front Line Health Care Providers in Resource-Limited Countries: Development Study. JMIR Formative Research, 4(11), e18555.
10.2196/18555
Piyaporn Inthaphalan, Jiraporn Lininger, Sangthong Terathongkum (2024)
The effectiveness of a health literacy enhancement program on knowledge, self-management behaviors, and clinical outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease: A quasi-experimental study in Thailand. Belitung Nursing Journal, 10(6), 635.
10.33546/bnj.3519
Nicole Redvers (2021)
Patient-Planetary Health Co-benefit Prescribing: Emerging Considerations for Health Policy and Health Professional Practice. Frontiers in Public Health, 9,
10.3389/fpubh.2021.678545
Jafrā D. Thomas, Cameron N. Christopher, Caroline N. Smith, Winston Kennedy, Bradley J. Cardinal (2023)
Improving Communication in Kinesiology through a Practicum Course. International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education, 7(3), 257.
10.1080/24711616.2022.2141156
J. K. Papadakos, E. Giannopoulos, S. McBain, L. Forbes, P. Jain, D. Samoil, J. Wang, V. Zwicker, C. Fox, L. Moody, R. McLeod (2021)
Quality assessment of cancer patient education materials: the current state of systemic therapy patient education in fourteen cancer centres across Ontario, Canada. Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(7), 3513.
10.1007/s00520-020-05859-2
Philip J. Heron, Jamie A. Williams (2022)
Building confidence in STEM students through breaking (unseen) barriers. Geoscience Communication, 5(4), 355.
10.5194/gc-5-355-2022
Eleni Giannopoulos, Lesley Moody, Rebecca MacKinnon, Bhajan Gill, Meredith E. Giuliani, Janet K. Papadakos (2024)
Evaluating cancer patient-reported experience measures against health literacy best practices. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(10),
10.1007/s00520-024-08838-z
Napjadi Letsoalo, Tshepho Justice Kgasago (2023)
COVID-19 crisis communication in Sepedi: the quality of translation by the Limpopo Department of Health. South African Journal of African Languages, 43(2), 113.
10.1080/02572117.2023.2248723
Lin Cheng, Bettina Meiser, Edwin Kirk, Debra Kennedy, Kristine Barlow-Stewart, Rajneesh Kaur (2022)
Decisional needs of patients considering preimplantation genetic testing: a systematic review. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 44(5), 839.
10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.12.011
Stephanie Stock, Arim Shukri, Sibel Altin, Farah Nawabi, Daniele Civello, Marcus Redaèlli, Adrienne Alayli (2023)
Testing a single item screener to support family doctors in identifying patients with limited health literacy: convergent validity of the SILS and the HLS-EU-Q16. BMC Primary Care, 24(1),
10.1186/s12875-023-02112-7
Rintaro Imafuku, Yukiko Nagatani, Masaki Shoji (2022)
Communication Management Processes of Dentists Providing Healthcare for Migrants with Limited Japanese Proficiency. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 14672.
10.3390/ijerph192214672
Saba Qadhi, Huda Alkubaisi (2022)
Handbook of Research on Teacher Education. 13.
10.1007/978-981-19-2400-2_2
Célia Belim (2022)
Health Communication Models and Practices in Interpersonal and Media Contexts. Advances in Human Services and Public Health, 108.
10.4018/978-1-7998-4396-2.ch004
Ika Karlina IdrisHartono Gunardi, Aria Kekalih, Bambang Supriyatno, Damayanti Rusli Sjarif, Rini Andriani, (2022)
Development of an evidence-based complementary feeding practice module for mothers using the combined Delphi Method. Paediatrica Indonesiana, 62(3), 198.
10.14238/pi62.3.2022.198-207
Georges Ayoub, Elie Chalhoub, Ghassan Sleilaty, Hampig Raphael Kourie (2021)
YouTube as a source of information on breast cancer in the Arab world . Supportive Care in Cancer, 29(12), 8009.
10.1007/s00520-021-06403-6
Faye Forsyth, Liesbet Van Bulck, Bo Daelman, Philip Moons (2024)
When the computer says yes, but the healthcare professional says no: artificial intelligence and possible ethical dilemmas in health services. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23(8), e165.
10.1093/eurjcn/zvae059
Mamakiri Mulaudzi, Gugulethu Tshabalala, Stefanie Hornschuh, Kofi Ebenezer Okyere-dede, Minjue Wu, Oluwatobi Ifeloluwa Ariyo, Janan J. Dietrich, Haleh Ayatollahi (2025)
Developing a youth-friendly internet-enabled HIV risk calculator: A collaborative approach with young key populations, living in Soweto, South Africa. PLOS Digital Health, 4(1), e0000672.
10.1371/journal.pdig.0000672
Gabrielle M. Finn, Ben Charmer, Oliver E. Burton, Aqua Asif, Matthew H. V. Byrne, Nicola Brennan, Megan E. L. Brown (2023)
How to … define clinical education research terminology: A glossary. The Clinical Teacher, 20(4),
10.1111/tct.13605
Oliwia Szymanska (2025)
Physicians on the move: practices for shaping a professional medical persona in a second language. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 1.
10.1080/17538068.2025.2484056
Samir Kamat, George Danias, Aneesh Agarwal, Sumanth Chennareddy, Joseph Han, Samuel Lee (2022)
Incorporating Paid Caregivers Into Medical Education to Enhance Medical Student Exposure to This Essential Workforce. JMIR Medical Education, 8(4), e38329.
10.2196/38329
Cristina Vaz de Almeida, Célia Belim (2020)
Joy. Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management, 201.
10.1108/S2398-391420200000005014
Axel S. Merseburger, Ganesh Bakshi, Dong-Yi Chen, Edmund Chiong, Michel Jabbour, Jae Young Joung, Allen Yu-Hung Lai, Nathan Lawrentschuk, Tuan-Anh Le, Chi Fai Ng, Choon Ta Ng, Teng Aik Ong, Jacob See-Tong Pang, Danny M. Rabah, Narasimhan Ragavan, Kazuhiro Sase, Hiroyoshi Suzuki, Michelle Mui Hian Teo, Hiroji Uemura, Henry H. Woo (2024)
Cardiovascular disease risk assessment and multidisciplinary care in prostate cancer treatment with ADT: recommendations from the APMA PCCV expert network. World Journal of Urology, 42(1),
10.1007/s00345-024-04852-2
Ruri Ashida, Junji Otaki (2022)
Survey of Japanese Medical Schools on Involvement of English-speaking Simulated Patients to Improve Students’ Patient Communication Skills. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 34(1), 13.
10.1080/10401334.2021.1915789
Hatsune Kido, Soichiro Saeki, Mayu Hiraiwa, Masashi Yasunaga, Rie Tomizawa, Chika Honda, Toshio Fukuoka, Kaori Minamitani (2024)
Plain language in the healthcare of Japan: a systematic review of “plain Japanese”. Global Health Journal, 8(3), 113.
10.1016/j.glohj.2024.08.007
Maichou Lor, Nathan Badenoch, Mai Joua Yang (2022)
Technical Meets Traditional: Language, Culture, and the Challenges Faced by Hmong Medical Interpreters. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 33(1), 96.
10.1177/10436596211039553
Meredith Giuliani, Tina Papadakos, Janet Papadakos (2020)
Propelling a New Era of Patient Education into Practice—Cancer Care Post–COVID-19. International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 108(2), 404.
10.1016/j.ijrobp.2020.05.036
Youngill Ko, Heui Jae Kim, Seung-Mi Lee (2025)
Health Literacy, Label Comprehension, and Consumer Perceptions of Quasi-Drug Information Among Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Volume 18, 173.
10.2147/RMHP.S502368
Takayuki Oshimi (2024)
Developing a clinician-friendly rubric for assessing history-taking skills in medical undergraduates speaking English as a foreign language. MedEdPublish, 14, 11.
10.12688/mep.19911.2
Haunnah Rheault, Fiona Coyer, Ann Bonner (2021)
Chronic disease health literacy in First Nations people: A mixed methods study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(17-18), 2683.
10.1111/jocn.15757
John Ravenscroft, Helen St Clair Tracy, Andrew Blaikie (2021)
Cerebral Visual Impairment on the Web: An Exploration of an Educational Web Resource as a Bridge to Public Understanding. Frontiers in Communication, 6,
10.3389/fcomm.2021.727230
David McMinn, Tom Grant, Laura DeFord-Watts, Veronica Porkess, Margarita Lens, Christopher Rapier, Wilson Q Joe, Timothy A Becker, Walter Bender (2025)
Using artificial intelligence to expedite and enhance plain language summary abstract writing of scientific content. JAMIA Open, 8(2),
10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaf023
Katherine G. Akers, Ella Hu, Narmeen Rehman, Ho Jun Yun, Jacob Hoofman, Rachel Monconduit, Jennifer Mendez (2022)
Building First-Year Medical Students’ Skills in Finding, Evaluating, and Visualizing Health Information Through a “Debunking Medical Myths” Curricular Module. Medical Science Educator, 32(2), 309.
10.1007/s40670-022-01541-w

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Obs.: This plugin requires at least one statistics/report plugin to be enabled. If your statistics plugins provide more than one metric then please also select a main metric on the admin's site settings page and/or on the journal manager's settings pages.

Similar Articles

<< < 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.