Inappropriate use of nocebic language in prehospital care: a cautionary tale

Author:

Newton Andrew1

Affiliation:

1. Independent Consultant, Newton London, London, UK

Abstract

Background: Nocebic communication can impair patient outcomes and increase their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder. It could therefore be legitimately regarded as a patient safety issue. Aims: This study aimed to determine whether nocebic effects (negative outcomes) induced by potentially harmful word and language choices commonly occur in clinical practice involving paramedics and other emergency responders. Methods: Five publicly available televised excerpts of prehospital care encounters were reviewed. Cases typically involved the treatment of patients who had sustained serious traumatic injuries. The incidence of words and language patterns commonly associated with nocebo effects were collected using a template to enable relevant dialogue to be tracked and recorded. Results: Emergency responders, typically paramedics and doctors in these examples, frequently employed nocebic words and poor language pattern choices even though less harmful forms of communication were available and more clinically appropriate. Conclusions: Inappropriate nocebic effect-inducing language is frequently used by emergency response personnel, potentially inflicting avoidable pain and anxiety.

Publisher

Mark Allen Group

Reference52 articles.

1. Acosta J, Prager SJ. The worst is over: what to say when every moment counts. Verbal first aid to calm, relieve pain, promote healing and save lives. Revised edition 2014. CreateSpace; 2014

2. Implications of nocebo in anaesthesia care

3. Appearance of trustworthiness: an implicit source of bias in judgments of patients' pain

4. THE POWERFUL PLACEBO

5. How the Doctor’s Words Affect the Patient’s Brain

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3