The forum offers an opportunity for researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to discuss how collaborative, multidisciplinary language-focused research can help address problems in contemporary health care. Internationally, language-focused research is increasingly contributing to the health field, for example by developing strategies to make communication in hospitals safer and more patient-centred and by highlighting issues in how clinicians explain diagnoses to consumers and the need to use language appropriately with consumers affected by particular conditions, such as dementia and autism. The forum will explore the potential to develop collaborations to identify and address problems in the Australian health care context. Presentations of current research in the field will be followed by a panel discussion (with audience participation welcome) aimed at developing a specific and potentially ongoing interdisciplinary research agenda based on delegates’ expertise and interests. The forum is supported by the Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language.

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