Health Communication and the Medical Humanities

Drawing upon actual case studies, this book introduces readers to how everyday interactions in the clinic can foster trust and impact diagnoses and reveals how often-overlooked communication processes fundamentally shape healthcare delivery and outcomes. The book treats communication not as a box to be checked or a skill to be mastered, but as a force that shapes provider and patient identities, a broker of relationships, and a central and pervasive presence in all systems of care. It explores topics such as end-of-life communication, physician burnout, professional hierarchies within healthcare teams, and AI in healthcare. It also integrates examples that extend beyond a U.S. framework, accounting for how different healthcare and political systems impact patient care. Each chapter is written in plain language and invites readers to think critically about what true patient-centered care looks like today. This book is tailored to both undergraduate and graduate medical humanities, health communication, medical sociology, and bioethics courses and a broad audience of healthcare professionals—from nursing students to attending physicians, technicians, and support staff. Online resources include links to readings, outside resources, and video components. They are available online at www.routledge.com/9781041102779.