Letterlijkmedische

Letterlijkmedische is a term used in Dutch-language discussions to describe an approach to medical language that prioritizes literal interpretation of terminology and statements over contextual or pragmatic meaning. Proponents argue that literalism can reduce ambiguity in documentation and patient communications by preserving the semantic core of medical terms and procedures.

Origin and scope: The term appears in online forums, translation studies, and medical communication literature since the early 2020s. It combines letterlijk (literally) and medische (medical) to denote two related practices: literal translation of medical texts across languages, and literal interpretation of clinical statements during patient encounters.

Applications: In multilingual clinical settings, Letterlijkmedische emphasizes faithful rendering of diagnoses, procedures, and consent terms, while attempting to maintain consistency across languages. In health informatics and artificial intelligence, the concept guides data annotation to capture surface-level meanings and avoid dilution of terms in automated processing. It also informs teaching about precise terminology.

Criticism and limitations: Critics argue that strict literalism can ignore cultural context, patient perspectives, and the pragmatic aspects of medical consent, potentially leading to miscommunication. Supporters counter that literalism can serve as a baseline that should be supplemented by plain language explanations and clinician judgment to ensure understanding.

See also: medical translation, plain language in medicine, health literacy, medical ethics, clinical documentation.