Language barriers or lack of institutional awareness do not explain why immigrants in Sweden have a higher mortality from COVID-19. These are the conclusions of a new population-based study from Stockholm University that analyzed intermarried couples—immigrants partnered with Swedes. Previous…
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Sighted and blind individuals have similar understanding of color
People born blind have never seen that bananas are yellow but Johns Hopkins University researchers find that like any sighted person, they understand two bananas are likely to be the same color and why. Questioning the belief that dates back…
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Study lays out challenges of achieving equity in communication for diverse patients at hospital discharge
A new study by research, quality improvement and health equity experts at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in The American Journal of Managed Care lays out the challenges of achieving equity for diverse patients in communication at hospital discharge. A survey…
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Research surveys hygiene practices in food supply chains during COVID-19 pandemic
With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many worried they could be exposed to its causative pathogen – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – through their food. While more research has suggested transmission through food…
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Study: higher vaccine rates associated with indicative language by provider, more efficient
New research from Boston Medical Center finds that using clear, unambiguous language when recommending HPV vaccination both increases vaccine acceptance and increases conversation efficiency while preserving patient satisfaction. Published in Vaccine, the new research findings show that adolescents are nine…
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The language we choose when we talk about substance use matters
When Hunter Biden, son of President-elect Joe Biden, was recently interviewed by Amy Robach at ABC News, Robach brought up Hunter’s substance use issues, noting that he had been “in and out of rehab seven, eight times.” Hunter responded, “Say…
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Researchers study how deaf and hearing people watch sign language
A recent study has shown that readers’ eye gaze behaviors are strong indicators of words that are unexpected, new, or difficult to understand. The study by Rain Bosworth, an assistant professor and researcher in the Center for Sensory, Perceptual, and…
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How language proficiency correlates with cognitive skills
An international team of researchers carried out an experiment at HSE University demonstrating that knowledge of several languages can improve the performance of the human brain. In their study, they registered a correlation between participants’ cognitive control and their proficiency…
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