Using the Word Want in Health Care May Leave Patients Wanting.

Abstract

All clinicians engage in discussions about complex decision-making and advance care planning for people living with serious illnesses; however, not all clinicians have the same training, experience, or comfort with this type of communication, which requires awareness of and attention to specific words and phrases. In this article, we present a case that highlights the clinical impact language, such as the use of the word want, can have on patient-related outcomes.