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

Patient-centered care has been a key priority in health care for the last decade. However, successful execution of patient-centered care is dependent on health care team self-awareness and effective communication skills. Team awareness and communication are essential between health care providers across all communication modalities within the health care system. Patient-centric communication places the needs, wants, preferences, and motivations of the patient foremost 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: “Recognition, Awareness, Inclusivity, Stigma-free, and making patient-centric Educated Decisions” (RAISED). This communication framework encompasses techniques and strategies that can be used by any health care 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.