The Ethics of Health Communication

Health care and medicine are technical disciplines. However, they demand effective communication with those who are not experts in the relevant technical areas: patients, families, politicians, and the general public. Health care workers, public health professionals, health economists and other health professionals are thus often confronted with circumstances demanding communication skills, often where ineffective communication can lead to serious consequences. Examples where communication is key in healthcare contexts include  how public health officials should communicate risk to public audiences, how doctors should communicate uncertainty to patients, when and whether it is appropriate for medical professionals to raise ethical issues with patients, how medical students should be taught to communicate, the use of inclusive language in maternity services, and the role of communication in the democratisation of healthcare decision-making, for instance through Patient and Public Involvement.

This conference brings together a variety of speakers working at the intersection of philosophical ethics and health practice, to engage with a range of ethical and political issues that can arise in the context of communicating about health and health care. Speakers will give talks on a range of ethical issues in health communication.