Role of Language in Health Care: Passive vs Active, Patients vs Consumer

Folks with an interest in science-based and/or health engagement may be interested in a great discussion that's going on within the members listserve of the Society for Participatory Medicine. 

The gist of the discussion is what role language plays in shaping how we understand and use health care.  Does what we are called - patient, user, person, etc.- determine whether we are passive ("I'm just doing what the doctor says") or active ("I'm not sure that treatment is right for me.  Let me tell you about my concerns and then we can determine the best approach together.").  There is also a discussion about the respective roles and responsibilities in the health care relationship as well as the nature of health care and how it affects language, current care models, etc.

See an excerpt from the discussion, from a post by Fred Trotter, by clicking here.