Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
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Numerous studies have described and evaluated communication in healthcare contexts, but these studies have focused on broad content and complex units of behavior. Growing evidence reveals the predictive power and importance of precise linguistic characteristics of communication. ⋯ These findings reveal patterns in the way physicians speak to patients who vary in their demographic characteristics and health status and point to potentially fruitful targets for linguistic interventions with both physicians and patients.