ETNAtalks returns with Episode 10, featuring Professor Dorthe Nielsen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark.
In this episode, Professor Nielsen shares insights from her research into “unequal encounters” in healthcare — exploring how systems designed to be universal can still create barriers for elderly migrants and socially vulnerable patients.
The conversation highlights the often-overlooked impact of communication barriers, introducing the concept of “language pain” to describe the distress patients experience when they are unable to fully understand or be understood within clinical settings.
Listeners will also gain practical insights into:
- Building trust in time-limited interactions
- Reframing the idea of the “difficult patient”
- Navigating cultural and family dynamics in care
- The role of compassion and presence as clinical tools
Through powerful examples and lived experiences, this episode emphasises the importance of seeing the person beyond the diagnosis and recognising vulnerability as a shared human condition.
