Never say these words to patients; virtual care does not mean low-value care; interactions between biological variables and SDOH for cancer outcomes – Morning Medical Update

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Words that clinicians should never say to patients

An October 2024 paper, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, outlines certain “never words,” that can cause great fear, and harm, if said by clinicians to patients and their families. As they deal with health concerns, patients and their families should feel “psychologically safe” in their communication with their health care professionals, and certain words may undermine their confidence to speak freely. Some phrases identified as “never words” include: “There is nothing else we can do,” “withdrawing care” and the terms “fight” or “battle.”

Study proves that virtual care does not mean low-value care

A University of Michigan study showed that there was not a significant increase in low-value care at primary care practices that utilized telehealth the most, compared with practices that use it the least. “Our findings are reassuring in the context of current telehealth policy decisions, because there has been concern that telehealth might be increasing access to care to a degree that leads to unnecessary visits and wasteful screening or diagnostic testing,” Terrence Liu, MD, MS, lead author of the study and primary care physician, said in a university release.

Interactions between biological variables and social determinants of health in cancer outcomes

The National Cancer Policy Forum hosted a workshop in early 2024 to examine the interactions among biological variables and social determinants of health (SDOH), along with opportunities that can be taken to mitigate any negative impacts of social factors on cancer-related health outcomes. The findings from the workshop were published by the National Academies Press, and can be accessed here.