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Why Clear Words Change the Patient Experience
Welcome to Season 3 of Heart to Heart Talk — where we speak from the heart, for the heart.
This episode dives into something every patient faces at some point: the words we hear in healthcare.
Language can build trust… or break it.
Mary shares the moment she was handed a long consent form she couldn’t understand — sick, scared, and overwhelmed. That moment changed how she sees communication in medicine.
She’s joined by Alissa Hanna, Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, for an honest conversation about why plain, patient-friendly language matters so much in both care and research.
Together, they talk about:
• Why real consent requires real understanding
• How confusing medical terms push patients away
• What “plain language” actually means
• Tools that help patients feel confident before signing
• How good communication builds trust
• Why support matters long after the trial table
If you’ve ever felt confused, rushed, or unsure how to ask for clearer answers — this episode is for you.
You deserve to understand your care. You deserve language that meets you where you are.
🧠 About Our Guest
Alissa Hanna, MPH, is the Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, where she works to make research and care more human, clear, and supportive for patients and caregivers. Her work focuses on:
✔ Plain-language communication
✔ Improving informed-consent experiences
✔ Co-creating materials with patients
✔ Strengthening trust through clear, simple information
🔗 Edwards Lifesciences
About HeartBridge Collective
HeartBridge Collective is a patient-led community changing the way heart valve patients and caregivers connect, learn, and feel supported. We bridge real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients never have to walk this road alone. Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.
Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.
HeartBridge Collective
#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch
#PatientCenteredResearch #HeartBridgeCollective
#LivedExperience #HealthLiteracy #HospiceSurvivor
#TricuspidValveMiracle #PatientExperience
View all episodes
By Mary BurrellWelcome to Season 3 of Heart to Heart Talk — where we speak from the heart, for the heart.
This episode dives into something every patient faces at some point: the words we hear in healthcare.
Language can build trust… or break it.
Mary shares the moment she was handed a long consent form she couldn’t understand — sick, scared, and overwhelmed. That moment changed how she sees communication in medicine.
She’s joined by Alissa Hanna, Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, for an honest conversation about why plain, patient-friendly language matters so much in both care and research.
Together, they talk about:
• Why real consent requires real understanding
• How confusing medical terms push patients away
• What “plain language” actually means
• Tools that help patients feel confident before signing
• How good communication builds trust
• Why support matters long after the trial table
If you’ve ever felt confused, rushed, or unsure how to ask for clearer answers — this episode is for you.
You deserve to understand your care. You deserve language that meets you where you are.
🧠 About Our Guest
Alissa Hanna, MPH, is the Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, where she works to make research and care more human, clear, and supportive for patients and caregivers. Her work focuses on:
✔ Plain-language communication
✔ Improving informed-consent experiences
✔ Co-creating materials with patients
✔ Strengthening trust through clear, simple information
🔗 Edwards Lifesciences
About HeartBridge Collective
HeartBridge Collective is a patient-led community changing the way heart valve patients and caregivers connect, learn, and feel supported. We bridge real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients never have to walk this road alone. Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.
Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.
HeartBridge Collective
#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch
#PatientCenteredResearch #HeartBridgeCollective
#LivedExperience #HealthLiteracy #HospiceSurvivor
#TricuspidValveMiracle #PatientExperience