Clarifying a working definition for 'precision communication': a scoping review of medical literature on communication.

Abstract

Aims: While "tailored communication" and "precision medicine" have been well-defined in medical literature, the concept of "precision communication" in healthcare has yet to be clarified. We sought to review how "precision communication" has been used in the medical literature to date and propose a working definition for this term.

Materials & methods: We searched seven medical literature databases from inception until 22 May 2024, for articles using terms related to "precision communication." Multiple reviewers screened titles/abstracts and full-texts; an initial pool of full-text articles underwent thematic analysis to clarify relevant themes for inclusion. Data regarding the use of the term "precision communication" were manually charted and analyzed descriptively.

Results: Of the 7,648 articles identified, 21 full-text articles were included in the final descriptive analysis. These articles highlighted the personalization of tailored communication to patient characteristics, its impact on clinical outcomes, and the recipients of "precision communication." The latter may distinguish "precision communication" from similar terms: where "tailored communication" was mostly applied to undefined groups, we propose that "precision communication" is precise toward specific patient subpopulations, paralleling the use of genomics in precision medicine.

Conclusions: From this review, we defined precision communication as "the personalization of communication to subpopulations."