Health-literate communication is essential to effective speech-language pathology practice, yet many patients and care partners leave healthcare encounters unsure of what was discussed or what to do next. In this episode of Brainstorms, Richard Zraick, PhD, CCC-SLP, CHSE, joins host Renee Garrett, MSEd, CCC-SLP, CBIS, to discuss practical, evidence-informed strategies for making clinical communication clearer, more accessible, and more actionable.
Together, they examine common barriers to patient understanding and share practical ways to organize information, reduce cognitive load, use plain language without sacrificing clinical accuracy, incorporate teach-back into everyday practice, and create patient education that better supports individuals with communication disorders, cognitive impairments, and varying literacy levels.
Whether you work in acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient care, home health, schools, or private practice, this episode offers immediately applicable strategies to improve understanding, strengthen care partner involvement, support informed decision-making, and provide more person-centered care.
Together, they examine common barriers to patient understanding and share practical ways to organize information, reduce cognitive load, use plain language without sacrificing clinical accuracy, incorporate teach-back into everyday practice, and create patient education that better supports individuals with communication disorders, cognitive impairments, and varying literacy levels.
Whether you work in acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient care, home health, schools, or private practice, this episode offers immediately applicable strategies to improve understanding, strengthen care partner involvement, support informed decision-making, and provide more person-centered care.
