The Emotive Impact of Orthopedic Words

Research has shown that effective communication skills are paramount for delivering efficient and quality health care. More recently, research has started to show that in addition to how the medical information is delivered, the words used by health care providers are important factors in how patients cope with illness and their reports of pain intensity and disability. In this article, we discuss the emotional impact of words used by hand specialists, the impact of the nomenclature chosen to describe orthopedic diagnosis and procedures, and provide recommendations consistent with evidence-based practice.