ABSTRACT

The ability to communicate is central to functioning as a human being. It allows people to make vital personal connections with others as well as to conduct the business and the pleasure of daily life. Success in these activities depends in large measure on the extent to which the myriad communicative abilities are intact. What is more, patient reports are central to medical decision making, and a patient’s comprehension, insight, and recall are critical to his or her compliance with the recommendations of health care givers. Thus impairments in patients’ abilities to express themselves or take in, understand, retain, and carry out instructions have the potential to interfere with both day-to-day life and the delivery of optimal health care. In general, impaired communication isolates people from those around them, whether information providers, health care givers, friends, or loved ones.