Some messages outlive the people who wrote them. It's that the act of writing and the act of reading can be separated by time, place and audience.
Most written communication is not intended to last as long as an ancient inscription. But the principle is the same: the writer and the reader do not have to be present at the same time, or even know each other.
A medical article may be written to answer a question that comes up regularly in consultations.
A written explanation can remain available beyond the consultation, beyond office hours and beyond the people who originally requested it.
But its next reader may never have visited the practice.
They may simply be looking for an answer and find an article on a practice's website.
They do not necessarily know the doctor, the practice or its services. Their first impression comes from the information itself and the quality of that explanation contributes to their impression of the practice.
Does it answer their question?
Does it distinguish general possibilities from what requires individual assessment? Does it make clear who is providing the information?
Does it distinguish general possibilities from what requires individual assessment? Does it make clear who is providing the information?
If the explanation is useful, they leave with something they did not have before. They also know where that information came from.
And sometimes, that first encounter with a practice begins a longer relationship.
A good explanation does not stop working when it is published.
