Sara Schuster

Rhetorical analysis 4

Revision Plan:
 Sentence structure errors
 Define what language of medicine really is and what it covers
 Change “others” to “patients”
 Spelling errors
 Change “the text I am choosing” to “the article that I have chosen”
 Capitalization errors
 Change “huge” to “massive”
 Explain more of the fourth section
 Add “within the regions” para. 3
 Change “another” to “the third”
Sara Schuster
Rhetorical analysis 4

The topic I have chosen to research is medical terminology and Covid-19. The main point I am

arguing is how any prior knowledge to medical terminology and Language of Medicine can help

the public regarding the virus. Medical terminology and the Language of Medicine involve the

use of words and word parts that describe location, specific organ, and possible problem. Also, if

having the line of communication open between doctors and patients will allow people to better

protect themselves from Covid-19. The article that I have chosen to use for my rhetorical

analysis is about how Covid-19 has affected communication whether it be face to face with

doctors or broadcast communication. 

The author, Fred Pennic is a seasoned health IT strategist with fourteen years of experience in

providing advisory serves to executive leadership at hospitals and different health systems. The

goal of this article is to show how broadcast communication has increased significantly since the

breakout of the virus in the U.S., but face to face communication with doctors and present

patients in the medical field has decreased. It is stated many times throughout the article that

since the virus has made its way through the U.S. there has been a massive increase in

appointment cancelations.

This website article is about how Covid-19 is changing patient communications within the

separate regions of the U.S. This article talks about how Communication between doctors and

patients during the pandemic has increased but at the same time face to face interactions have

decreased. In the beginning of the article, it starts with "What You Should Know". This portion

of the article bullet-points how in some regions like California and New York have seen an

increase of broadcast messages to the public about the virus in Late January to March, when the

virus was just beginning to take over the United States. This portion also states that during the
Sara Schuster
Rhetorical analysis 4

month of march healthcare providers have seen an increase of appointment cancellations. This

part of this article is important because it right out of the gate gives the topic of the article and is

giving facts about the pandemic and communications.

The second Portion of this article focuses on the data of communications in certain regions

around the country. It shows how broadcast communications about the virus has increased in all

parts. This increase in patient communications is because of the need to educate and coordinate

care for the public. In the data given it shows that in the Western region of the U.S. has had the

biggest increase in broadcast messages to patients. I believe that when communication is

increased it allows people who have been affected or who are worried about being affected by

the virus to be calmed because nothing is being withheld from them. But then again in the article

it is shown that not all regions are getting the same amount of information. 

The thrid section of the article talks about the nation’s wide appointment cancellations. The fear

of the pandemic has made people afraid to even go to the doctor anymore because they fear they

might contract the virus in a doctor’s office. The article states that the most cancelled

appointments come from cosmetic surgery, physical therapy, radiology, and pulmonology

clinics. Although, some of these are not life or death like cosmetic surgery and physical therapy

but, radiology and pulmonology can be life threatening if appointments are cancelled and

something ends up being wrong. The final portion of the article talks about how communication

to patients can help people who are most at risk get identified and tested. If information is

properly presented to the public then, helping the at-risk population stay safe becomes easier. To

people who are most at risk for the virus, at first seemed to be people with compromised immune

systems and the elderly, but at where we are today we know now that anyone can contract the

virus so it is highly important that everyone is knowledgeable about the virus.

Sara Schuster
Rhetorical analysis 4

The argument presented in the article is communication to the public about the virus is one of the

most important things that can help protect the public from the virus. I can relate this back to my

original argument because if communication to the public itself if weak then getting information

to people who are wary about the virus will then not be safe. Also, when communicating to the

public about the virus there may be language used that can be confusing to a regular person who

has so experience in the medical field, there for having prior knowledge of medical terminology

can help the public understand what the broadcast is actually saying. "There was a 28x increase

in patient communications, with some states' providers placing a higher priority on

communicating with others" (Pennic). This shows that communication with doctors and others

about the virus became a top priority to certain states to protect their residents. 

The take-away from this article for me, is that Covid-19 has affected everything in its path and

communication is right there with it. Communication in the health field has changed dramatically

as well, face to face has decreased while broadcast information has increased. In my research

project this article is useful because I can tie it into how communication has changed so much

and how important it is to know some medical terminology because we are getting all of our

information about the virus from the news rather than face to face with doctors. 

Pennic, Fred. “Report: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Changing Patient

Communications.” Healthcare IT News, 27 Apr. 2020, hitconsultant.net/2020/04/27/report-

covid-19-pandemic-patient-communications/.