Sloppy Communication

The late Norman Cousins, in an essay titled "The Communication Collapse," wrote:

"Much of the trouble we get into (as individuals or organizations or as government) is connected to sloppy communication. Our words too often lead us away from where we want to go; they unwittingly antagonize friends or business associates. We are infuriated when our position is not understood and then becomes the collapsing factor in an important business deal. Or, we are terrified when the leaders of government miscommunicate and put their countries on a collision course."

Cousins was addressing the issue of hasty writing, but poor choice of words can lead to sloppy communication in any medium and on any issue.

Communication can be said to be creating the desired concept in another's mind. If the words or images chosen for the purpose already have a clear connection to a different concept, there will be no communication, only confusion or deception. Promotional groups spend countless hours and clients' dollars on finding the right words and images to create a demand for a particular product. It is that important to create the unique message for the product.

It is very puzzling then why chiropractors, who so vehemently oppose materia medica, would wish to identify with language that communicates medical concepts.

A most obvious example of such sloppy communication is the use of the word "diagnosis." This word is a term of art of the medical profession, classically and clearly associated with the medical objective of disease treatment. It describes the process of investigating and naming diseases. In this regard, it certainly creates more medical than chiropractic concept in the public mind. It is confusing, then, when chiropractors use the term.

Some argue that "finding a problem" is a form of diagnosis; therefore, even if the chiropractor is concerned with locating subluxation (a problem), he is making a "diagnosis."

In using the word "diagnosis" in this generic manner, it may be qualified to apply loosely to a wide range of professionals or occupations. For example, a chiropractor could make a "chiropractic diagnosis"; a dentist, a "dental diagnosis"; a trial attorney, a "legal diagnosis"; an auto mechanic, a "mechanical diagnosis"; etc., as then distinct from a medical doctor making a diagnosis in the classical sense of the word or in use as a term of art. Of course, chiropractic diagnosis is different from dental diagnosis, legal diagnosis, or mechanical diagnosis. They are all different from one another and, importantly, they are also all different from medical diagnosis. It would be ambiguous, then, or confusing to use "diagnosis" interchangeably in these instances. It would be sloppy communication.

These are reasons why I and straight chiropractic organizations, such as Straight Chiropractic Academic Standards Association (SCASA), do not favor careless choice of medical terms to communicate chiropractic. Chiropractic has its own vocabulary to accurately describe itself. For example: "analysis" instead of "diagnosis"; "adjustment" instead of "treatment." When used properly, this vocabulary is sufficient and leaves no confusion in the public's mind about what to expect from a chiropractor; no confusion in the courts as to what a chiropractor does or is responsible for; and even no confusion in the chiropractor as to what he should do for his patients. Choose the words and images that most closely and accurately describe chiropractic and that is what you will communicate.

James W. Healey, D.C.
Princeton, New Jersey