Have you ever had a conversation in a healthcare setting and come away from it thinking… Say, WHAT?! In Communication in Healthcare: Charting the Course to Better Outcomes with Trust, Respect, and Teamwork, Dr. Anne-Marie Morse seeks to eliminate those “say, what?!” moments and improve clarity in communication between healthcare partners and patients.

Using a simple metaphor of a vehicle on a road for the wellness journey, Dr. Morse explains how to put the patient at the wheel, with the healthcare partner as the car’s GPS: Guiding Partner Specialist. Rather than patient-centered care, she advocates for patient-directed care, informed by mutual respect, accountability, and awareness of all parties involved in the wellness journey.

Each chapter addresses a different stage in the wellness journey, from preparing for a first appointment to handling the outcomes of test results. Throughout, Dr. Morse provides a diversity of case studies, told through fictional narrative anecdotes, that cover a wide range of patient populations, illnesses, and contexts. Through this lens, practitioners and patients of all kinds may be able to identify themselves—and, in finding moments of resonance, identify areas in which they can finetune their own healthcare communication.

The chapters are supplemented with practical resources, from communication checklists to emotional intelligence self-assessments. Tools are provided for both patients and healthcare partners, emphasizing the fact that good communication requires the active participation of all parties. Dr. Morse also addresses common hurdles that are bigger than any individual, articulating factors that can influence healthcare communication, from the media formats used to individual cultural, religious, and socio-economic situations.

Ultimately, Dr. Morse lays the groundwork for a brighter future for patients and healthcare partners, in which technology can supplement communication while never replacing the humanity that underscores communication best practices.