Bridging the Gap Between Medical Terms and Patient Understanding

Nurse Turned Health & Wellness Content Writer | Bridging the Gap Between Care and Communication

Published Mar 11, 2025

By, Kelly Gibbons MSN, RN, CXP

Almost 16 years ago, during the birth of my second child, the neonatologist delivered a sentence that changed my life in an instant: “Your son had an infarct in his left frontal lobe.” As a seasoned nurse with nearly a decade of experience, I found myself unable to comprehend those words in that moment of shock. Despite my medical background and understanding that an “infarct” essentially means a stroke, the reality of being a mother and a patient overwhelmed me. I was helpless and clueless as the doctor spoke.

Now, imagine a patient with no medical background, equally shocked by the news about their newborn. If even a nurse with ten years of experience struggled to understand the term “infarct,” how would they fare? Would they grasp that the “left frontal lobe” refers to a part of the brain? This scenario often crosses my mind and has profoundly influenced my career in patient and family education and patient experience.

Whether you are providing verbal education, written education, or a combination of both, understanding comprehension is crucial for enhancing the patient experience and ensuring patient safety.

Did you know that over half of the US population reads below a 6th-grade reading level?

Learn to read verbal and physical cues: A patient or family member might be nodding their head, leading you to believe they understand what is being communicated. However, noticing tears forming in their eyes might be a clue to pause and use empathy to understand what they are truly feeling at that moment.

Teach back: Have the patient repeat back the education or information you have just shared with them. This helps confirm their comprehension, whether about their diagnosis, medications, or future treatments.

Take advantage of your system or unit Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC): PFACs are invaluable when it comes to reviewing education sheets or assisting with simulations. They can quickly spot areas where a patient or family may have difficulty with comprehension since most PFAC members were patients themselves at some point or were family members of patients. They have firsthand experience of being on the receiving end and knowing what works or doesn’t work.

Simulation: While many simulation sessions focus on the clinical aspects of care, adding specific simulation scenarios using the teach-back method helps healthcare professionals get comfortable with conversing in a way that ensures patient understanding.

Create a list of commonly used medical terms in your unit or clinic: Create a list of commonly used medical terms in your unit or clinic Collaborate as a team to find appropriate synonyms that patients and their families will understand. Examples include “NPO,” “febrile,” “grossly intact,” or even phrases like “the findings were impressive” or “the results were unremarkable,” might even confuse a patient.

Effective communication, whether verbal or written, is paramount to ensuring patient safety and delivering an exceptional patient experience. At Balanced Healthcare Consulting, we can work with you to create or review your existing patient education materials to ensure that your patients and their families leave feeling confident and trusting in the care you provide.

What strategies for effective patient and family communication have you used to create a safe and exceptional patient experience?