Life and Death

How many times have we heard the phrase, "life and death?" Usually, I am guessing, it is in the context of a movie. Against all odds, the hero is about to face the bad guy in one final showdown and is either told or says him or herself that this is a "life or death" situation. But in the real world, many of us face such a situation more often than we realize. Often it is in the context of some sort of medical or health challenge when we are interacting with doctors. Either we are dealing with medical problems or a loved one is and the doctors - these medical authorities - are explaining what is going on and what needs to be done about it.

Such an interaction revolves around communication. How well are the doctors communicating? Are they explaining the situation in a way we can understand? Are we listening well enough to understand what is being said? No doubt being told we have a serious medical problem is a very difficult scenario. Learning that the life of one we love may be in jeopardy is not easy to face. Such a time is extremely stressful and often involves terminology and explanations that are technical and not part of our daily lexicon. Doctors know what they are talking about but often we are not on the same page with them. Consequently, the chances of effective communication occurring is not high.

How well exchanges between doctor and patient go often can be a life and death situation. Are we truly understanding what the medical authorities are saying? Is how often and exactly what medication we need to take or treatment procedures we need to follow being clearing explained? Getting such guidance wrong really can result in serious health loss or even death. Thus, in this context communication is a true life and death situation. Unfortunately, such situations are ones people face every day. This is why health communication remains an important area of study for physicians as well as the rest of us.