Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

2.7: Key Terms

  • Page ID
    109272
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)
    active listening
    when someone listens by giving their full attention, listening to understand, and providing thoughtful input
    assertiveness
    showing confidence in oneself
    bias
    prejudice for or against a person or group compared to another group
    channel
    the mode in which the communication is sent
    communication
    the sharing of ideas and thoughts among people
    courtesy
    the practice of being polite, respectful, and considerate
    cultural barrier
    a mental limitation or block about other cultures
    culturally competent care
    meeting and respecting a patient’s social, cultural, and linguistic needs while providing care
    electronic communication
    all communication transmitted electronically
    electronic health record (EHR)
    a digital format of a complete medical record of a patient that is able to be shared across multiple healthcare organizations
    electronic medical record (EMR)
    a digital format of a patient’s medical chart specific to a single medical facility or practice
    emotional barrier
    a mental limitation or block that influences how others’ actions are perceived
    emotional intelligence (EI)
    the capacity to control and express emotions
    empathy
    the ability for one person to understand and share the feelings of another person
    engage
    active listening, with nonverbal communication, asking for feedback when necessary
    false reassurance
    giving comfort that is not based in facts
    feedback
    the response given by a receiver to a sender
    Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)
    a federal law creating the national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed
    health literacy
    the ability of a patient to understand and use information to make health-related decisions
    implicit bias
    unconscious prejudice
    interactional model
    communication as a two-way process that allows for feedback, and a person alternates as both sender and receiver
    interdisciplinary
    relating to more than one branch of knowledge
    interpersonal barrier
    negative pattern of behavior that hinders communication and impacts relationship management
    interpersonal communication
    exchange of information between two or more people
    intrapersonal communication
    exchange of information with oneself
    listening
    the ability to thoughtfully receive and interpret messages
    message
    the information to be conveyed or communicated
    motivational interviewing (MI)
    an evidence-based counseling approach that involves discussing feelings and incentives with a patient
    nontherapeutic communication
    negative expressions, attitudes, and actions that make a patient feel uneasy
    nonverbal communication
    exchange of information without the use of words; with facial expressions, posture, eye contact, gestures, and physical touch
    offering self
    contributing support by being present or spending time with a patient
    passive listening
    when someone listens to simply hear the messages being sent but may not be mentally or emotionally present and does not engage in the communication process
    perceptual barrier
    internal bias that influences the way an individual perceives others
    physical barrier
    tangible external or internal obstruction to communication
    public communication
    exchange of information between any size audience
    receiver
    the person who receives the message and interprets it
    referent communication
    the use of faces and objects in the place of words during communication encounters
    reflective thinking
    the practice of reviewing past communication experiences
    resolution
    determination of an act that depends on both parties agreeing to an outcome
    self-awareness
    being able to recognize and understand one’s own emotions
    self-management
    the ability to control impulsive feelings and behaviors
    semantic noise
    type of communication barrier that occurs when the sender and receiver of a message have different understandings of the meanings of words, phrases, symbols, or language in general
    sender
    the person who initiates a message
    small-group communication
    exchange of information between three or more people
    SMART goal
    an acronym for goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely
    social awareness
    an understanding of the strong emotions one might encounter as part of their experiences and how they can empathize with others
    social/relationship management
    building and maintaining good relationships with empathy and patience as the tenets of those relationships
    stereotype
    an oversimplified image of certain people or group
    therapeutic communication
    a specialized form of communication used by healthcare professionals to establish a therapeutic or healing relationship with patients
    transactional model
    a two-way process of communication where the sending and receiving of messages happen simultaneously
    transmission model
    a one-way, linear process of communication
    verbal communication
    the production of spoken language to send to a listener
    visual communication
    using visual elements to create messages or impart information
    written communication
    any written message, from formal letters to text messages

    This page titled 2.7: Key Terms is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by OpenStax via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

    • Was this article helpful?