title: Communication during radiation therapy education sessions: The role of medical jargon and emotional support in clarifying patient confusion.
abstract: Radiation oncology consultations involve explanation of complex technical concepts using medical jargon. This study aimed to: analyse types and frequency of medical jargon that radiation therapists (RTs) use during education sessions; identify how patients seek clarification from RTs; and, explore RTs communication strategies.
  
  
  
  Education sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Medical jargon was analysed using MaxDictio (a vocabulary analysis programme). A distinction was made between specialised (specialised terms used in RT or cancer) and contextual jargon (common everyday words with a different meaning in RT). Qualitative data were analysed using Framework analysis.
  
  
  
  Fifty-eight patients and 10 RTs participated. Contextual treatment jargon were the most frequently used jargon (32.2%) along with general medical terms (34.6%). Patients appeared uncertain about the number of treatments, side effects, and the risks of radiation. Patients sought clarification by asking RTs to explain or repeat information. RTs replaced jargon with a simpler word, used everyday analogies, and diagrams.
  
  
  
  Use of medical jargon is common in RT education sessions. RTs used different jargon types to varying degrees, but contextual jargon dominated.
  
  
  
  Training RTs how to tailor information to enhance patients' understanding would be beneficial. Future research exploring medical jargon used in other (non-) oncology settings is required.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Psychosocial Research Group, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Level 4, C25 Lowy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schnitzler
authors.affiliation: Psychosocial Research Group, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Level 4, C25 Lowy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: sian.smith@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sian K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Skye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Asheville, USA.
authors.forename: Delesha M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention, Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services, Houston, USA.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-Based Decision-Making, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Haryana M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Dhillon
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D032882:Comprehension; D003221:Confusion; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: Cancer; Communication; Health literacy; Medical jargon; Radiation therapist; Radiation therapy; Radiation therapy education sessions