Risk Communication and Misunderstandings. The Healthcare Dominion Case

Risk communication constitutes a complex area of discourse within the healthcare sector, defined by the inherent risk of misunderstandings between healthcare providers and patients and the challenges associated with effectively conveying information about risks. A significant barrier to improving this communication lies in enhancing healthcare providers’ awareness of the implicit nuances embedded in pre-operative risk discussions. This study seeks to address this gap in the existing literature by exploring the issue through the framework of the philosophy of language, with a particular focus on pragmatic analysis as a tool to uncover implicit meanings in doctor-patient interactions. By applying this approach to examine instances of risk evaluation of cardiac surgery, the study provides an empirical analysis of collected data, highlighting the limitations of contemporary models in detecting misunderstandings. Finally, the study outlines potential directions for future research, emphasizing the critical need to advance strategies for improving risk communication in medical contexts.