A new framework for elevating and updating clinical language: RAISED patient-centric communication

Patient-centered care has been a key priority in healthcare for the last decade. However, successful execution of patient-centered care is dependent on healthcare team self-awareness and effective communication skills. Team awareness and communication are essential between healthcare providers across all communication modalities within the healthcare system. Patient-centric communication places the needs, wants, preferences, and motivations of the patient foremost in order to create an overall open, receptive, and honest patient-provider encounter. To best provide patient-centric communication in all patient-provider interactions, we propose a new communication framework: RAISED (“Recognition, Awareness, Inclusivity, Stigma-free, and making patient-centric Educated Decisions”). This communication framework encompasses techniques and strategies that can be utilized by any healthcare providers with any patient encounter through in-person, telehealth, verbal, or written modalities. The purpose of using the RAISED framework in practice is to improve patient-centric communication skills through stigma-free and inclusive language during shared decision making, resulting in improved patient satisfaction and health outcomes.