Author: Steven J. McCabe, MD

Patient Communication

The Power of Humor

There is a lot of evidence and belief that humor can positively affect health outcomes. In the medical environment when patients are anxious and fearful, humor can reduce anxiety. In fact it is thought that the very purpose of humor is to counteract the negatives that are thrown our way in day-to-day life, preventing people from descending into doom and…
Patient Communication

The Power of Words

A lot of our activity as providers of health care is gathering and providing information via the spoken language. I have noted through the observation of students and residents in training and critical reflection on my own experience, the power of words to create fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, or alternatively to create calm, reassurance and hope. Words, the ones chosen,…