Development in Patient-preferred Terminology Related to Birth

Do you teach your students to use the terms such as normal birth, C-section, pre-labour or emergency birth in clinical communication with a patient? They might not be the right ones a pregnant woman would like to hear from a healthcare professional.

In 2020, the Royal College of Midwives ran a project called Re:Birth and conducted a survey to find out thoughts on the language used when describing birth and labour. In short, the findings showed that healthcare professionals should use language, which is clear, descriptive, unambiguous, and specific enough to identify differences between terms related to giving birth. Students and healthcare professionals can familiarise themselves with the “5 As” suggested in the Re:Birth project and follow recommended guidelines for the use of the alternative language.

This article summarises the results of a survey carried out about choice of birth-related terminology used in clinical practice in the UK and provides the implications for teaching clinical communication skills. You will find the examples of both, inappropriate and appropriate language and the links to the survey findings and guidelines.

Read here: https://ealthy.com/development-in-patient-preferred-terminology-related-to-birth/