This paper deals with the communication process as one of the challenges to be faced in humanizing healthcare. The potential and requirements for the production of communicative action are discussed, and certain obstacles are indicated, based on anthropological studies on biomedical culture. Using the concept of understanding, the paper discusses healthcare encounters and the relevance of validation and recognition of different players' discourse. It indicates the importance of taking a relative view of identity marks associated with biomedical culture, deconstructing certain concepts, criticizing their contexts of applicability and even proposing new marks through humanization. The relationship between biomedical technologies and the communication process is discussed. The challenge put forward is to learn, recognize and negotiate with others who have their own particular rights, autonomy and cultural baggage. Finally, the paper discusses the theoretical efforts towards making humanization of healthcare practices part of the ethos or worldview of healthcare professionals.
Humanization of care; Communication; Comprehension; Healthcare