In Episode 10 of ETNAtalks, we travel to Denmark to speak with Professor Dorthe Nielsen — Professor at the University of Southern Denmark — whose work challenges us to rethink what it truly means to care.

Drawing on her research into “unequal encounters,” Professor Nielsen explores how healthcare systems, even those designed to be universal, can unintentionally exclude the very patients who need them most — particularly elderly migrants and socially vulnerable individuals. Through powerful insights and real-world stories, she reveals how language barriers, unspoken expectations, and systemic assumptions can turn hospitals into spaces of confusion, fear, and even mistrust.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple but profound idea: when we focus only on disease, we miss the person. Professor Nielsen introduces the concept of “language pain,” highlighting how the inability to communicate can be as distressing as physical suffering, and challenges healthcare professionals to reconsider labels such as “difficult patients” as signals of failed understanding rather than patient failure.

This episode also offers practical and deeply human guidance — from the importance of mindful presence in even the shortest clinical encounters, to navigating complex family dynamics with respect and cultural humility. Through a moving patient story, we see how truly listening to a person’s life history can transform care, restore dignity, and build trust.

Ultimately, Professor Nielsen leaves us with a powerful reminder: vulnerability exists in all of us, and in every encounter, healthcare professionals hold the power either to deepen that vulnerability — or to gently reduce it through compassion, curiosity, and genuine human connection.