Reconsidering the role of language in medicine
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Reconsidering the role of language in medicine Berkeley Franz1*
and John W. Murphy2
Abstract Background: Despite an expansive literature on communication in medicine, the role of language is dealt with mostly indirectly. Recently, narrative medicine has emerged as a strategy to improve doctor-patient communication and integrate patient perspectives. However, even in this field which is predicated on language use, scholars have not specifically reflected on how language functions in medicine. Methods: In this theoretical paper, the authors consider how different models of language use, which have been proposed in the philosophical literature, might be applied to communication in medicine. In particular, the authors contrast the traditional, indexical thesis of language with new models that focus on interpretation instead of standardization. Results: The authors demonstrate how paying close attention to the role of language in medicine provides a philosophical foundation for supporting recent changes in doctor-patient communication. In particular, interpretive models are at the foundation of new approaches such as narrative medicine, that emphasize listening to patient stories, rather than merely collecting information. Conclusion: Ultimately, debates regarding the role of language which have largely resided in non-medical literatures, have important implications for describing communication in medicine. In particular, interpretive models of language use provide an important rationale for facilitating a more robust dialogue between doctors and patients. Keywords: Language, Philosophy of medicine, Narrative medicine, Doctor-patient communication
Background In the field of medicine discussions of language have been relatively rare. Many readers, at first, may object to this claim. After all, many articles and books examine the communicative competence of clinicians [1, 2] Medical students, for example, are constantly reminded that they must learn to interact effectively with patients. Additionally, issues related to translation, interpretation, and cultural competence are constantly discussed [3, 4]. Perhaps a better way to state the problem is that in medicine language is dealt with mostly indirectly. Many studies focus, for example, on the physician-patient relationship, the need for dialogue, the proper interpretation of clinical records, and the power dynamic that exists between doctors and their patients [5–7]. In other words, the quality and type of interaction that occurs in * Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Social Medicine, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Grosvenor311, Athens, OH, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
clinical settings are often the focus of studies in the literature on medical encounters. Most recently, narrative medicine has emerged as a prominent technique for integrating language and literature into medicine [8–10]. The main point of this approach is that patients construct stories abo
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