10 things you should never say to patients

A paper published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings identifies 10 words and phrases as "never words" that clinicians should avoid saying to patients, particularly during difficult encounters with emotional patients. The paper's authors, from Texas A&M University and Henry Ford Health, emphasized the importance of "compassionate communication" as part of the patient's treatment process.

"Communicating the nature, purpose and intended duration of often complex treatments — and setting realistic expectations about what they offer — still comes up against timeless patient experiences: fear, intense emotions, lack of medical expertise and the sometimes unrealistic hope for cure," they wrote.

It's important for patients and their families to maintain a feeling of psychological safety in their communication with health care professionals, and the use of certain "never words" can undermine their ability to communicate freely and without fear of judgment.

"'Never words' are conversation stoppers," the authors wrote. "They seize power from the very patients whose own voices are essential to making optimal decisions about their medical care."

Leonard L. Berry, Ph.D., MBA, a professor of marketing at Texas A&M University's Mays Business School and coauthor of the study, expressed his belief that patient relations and discussion should be incorporated into courses and professional development.

"The emphasis in medical school is understandably on the science of medicine, but it is so important to incorporate communications training into the curriculum," Berry said in a university news release. "A key opportunity is medical school students and graduates having superb patient-centered, skilled communicators as role models in their clinical training during medical school and residency."