Clinical Communication & hypnoidal language development skills.
The nocebo effect, often called the "evil twin" of the placebo effect, arises when negative expectations or suggestions lead to adverse outcomes. In contrast to the placebo effect, where positive expectations improve a patient's condition, the nocebo effect is induced by negative verbal cues, language or suggestions, potentially causing anxiety, discomfort or heightened pain (hyperalgesia). Clinicians might unknowingly trigger this through negative or ambiguous language, which can worsen a patient's perception of symptoms or treatmen
Organisations such as Newton London recognise the importance of addressing this in healthcare. They offer services to help clinicians enhance resilience and communication, focusing on:
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Personnel resilience: Strengthening emotional and mental resilience in healthcare providers.
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Clinical communication training: Ensuring clinicians use effective and empathetic communication strategies.
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Communication guidelines: Developing protocols for clear, compassionate language.
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Avoiding nocebic terminology: Training on language that prevents negative expectations, aiming to reduce nocebo effects and improving patient outcomes.
Their emphasis is on positive communication, which can significantly influence patient satisfaction, experience, and overall treatment success.