Avoiding the "Tech Talk Trap" at HIMSS26: Terry Rubin's Playbook for Healthcare Communicators
Terry Rubin, cofounder of The Professional Communicators, is bringing a simple but urgent message to HIMSS26: experts lose influence when they talk like experts. If you work in healthcare PR or communications, you've seen it-brilliant teams bury the lead under acronyms, dense slides and rushed delivery. The fix isn't dumbing things down. It's translating.
What the "Tech Talk Trap" really is
Rubin defines the "Tech Talk Trap" as presenting complex information in a way that doesn't land with the audience. The result: people tune out, key takeaways get missed, and decisions stall. The goal is to move from "Here's everything I know" to "Here's what you need to know."
- Jargon overload: Acronyms and insider terms that make sense to you but block meaning for everyone else.
- Detail firehose: So much information that nobody can tell what actually matters.
- Rushed delivery: No pauses, no emphasis, no clear signals on the must-know points.
Think of a software engineer pitching an AI tool to physicians and hospital leadership. If the language is dense and the pace frantic, the room won't follow how it integrates, improves outcomes or justifies budget. The message is lost-and so is control of the narrative.
Why this matters for healthcare PR and communications
Your job is to make complex ideas usable. Projects fail, budgets get blocked and innovations stall when messages don't land. Rubin's point is sharp: effective communicators don't water down expertise-they make it actionable for the people who have to say yes.
Practical tools Rubin will share
Rubin says attendees will leave with simple, repeatable techniques they can use the very next day to be more persuasive, concise and effective. Expect tools that help you keep control of the message and make sure everyone in the room follows your narrative.
- Audience scan: Identify who's in the room, what they value and what decisions they own. Set your detail level accordingly.
- "Need to know" filter: Separate content into must-know, should-know and can-know. Lead with must-know.
- Jargon ledger: List acronyms and technical terms. Replace or define in one short sentence the first time they appear.
- Anchor line: Open with a one-sentence outcome ("What changes if this works?"). Reference it throughout.
- Signal the takeaways: Use phrases like "Bottom line," "What this means," and "The ask" to guide attention.
- Pacing with purpose: Build in pauses after key data, and emphasize one number or point per slide.
The aim: give leaders what they need to make a decision, not everything your team could possibly explain.
Quick checklist for your next briefing
- Who's in the room? What outcome do they care about?
- What are the three takeaways you want them to remember tomorrow morning?
- Kill unnecessary acronyms. Define the rest in plain language.
- One idea per slide. One key number gets the spotlight.
- Pause after each takeaway. Label the "ask" clearly.
Session details
"Avoiding the Tech Talk Trap" with Terry Rubin
Thursday, March 12
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
San Polo 3501A | Level 3
HIMSS26 | Las Vegas
For more on the event, see the official HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition page.
For teams that communicate complex health tech every day
If your role sits at the intersection of clinical, technical and executive stakeholders, this session is practical fuel. Clear communication moves projects forward, secures budget and helps good ideas reach patients faster. If you want a complementary resource for sharpening your messaging systems, explore AI for PR & Communications.
Bonus: plain language isn't "less professional." It's more effective. If you need a reference to align teams on clarity, the federal Plain Language Guidelines are a solid standard to point to.
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