
About the episode
In this episode of How Humans Talk, Rune investigates the language of how words shape the doctor–patient relationship, and what’s at stake when communication fails. He’s joined by Dr. Sarah J. White, a conversation analyst and Director of Bedside Manners, and Mary Dahm, a health communication expert and lecturer at Deakin University. Together, they reveal how even well-meaning language can confuse, and how subtle shifts in phrasing can make all the difference. Rune also explores how cultural differences affect care from a linguistic point of view. You’ll learn how medicine is just as much a language game as it is a science, and why better conversations might just save lives.