Oral culture is back. In the 21st century, the various forms of technology available to us have seen a return to verbal forms of communication.

As little as fifty years ago, written communication was extremely important. Now — not so much. The presence of voice messages, voice recognition software, and even social media have all brought oral culture back into style.

But what’s the real difference between verbal and written communication?

This article will walk you through a brief introduction to verbal and written communication, and show you a few of the products out there to help communications.

Pros and Cons of Verbal Communication

One of the biggest advantages of verbal communication is the level of trust it builds. Most verbal conversation happens face to face. Even telephone conversations allow you to get a sense of voice and personality.

Verbal communication is also instant. It comes out quickly, so good verbal communicators can resolve issues before they even become complicated.

However, the biggest disadvantage to verbal communication is that it’s the easiest to misinterpret. Accents, dialects, slang, regionalism, and even slips in hearing could easily lead to the wrong information getting converted.

Pros and Cons of Written Communication

Unlike verbal communication, written communication is much easier to preserve. If you need to recall something that someone said earlier, it’s much easier to go back through what’s been written than it is to try to remember what someone said. It’s no wonder why a court stenographer is such an important job.

Written communication also allows the person writing to calculate the way they want their sentences to be structured. They can write, rewrite, alter their syntax, search for synonyms, which makes the presenting of complex issues much easier.

However, one of the biggest cons of written communication is that it costs money. Paper will cost you, as well ink, writing software, and specialized employees.

Writing is also a more time-consuming form of communication.

Struggles With Communication in the Medical Field

Communication in the medical field is extremely important. Improper communication could mean that someone doesn’t understand their diagnosis.   Miscommunications in the medical field can cost lives.

Written communication is the best way to communicate with patients. However, not every doctor has the time to sit down and write out everything to the patient. This can lead to patients forgetting the conversation they had with their doctors.

Thankfully, DeepScribe has developed a unique technology for medical voice recognition software. This new software combines the quickness of verbal communication with the precision of written communication.

Verbal and Written Communication 

In our rapidly changing world, it’s important to understand verbal and written communication. Verbal communication is much quicker and easier but is also easily forgotten. Written communication is quicker but more expensive.

Find a way to combine verbal and written communication, and you’re well on your way to avoiding mishaps.

For more articles like this, check out our technology section.