The effect of medical terminology on communication between health-care professionals and
Patients (include both positive and negative aspects)
Always be careful that you understand what your doctor says to you and what she/he understands what you said to her/him. A few years ago, I began falling down with no reason. My dr thot it was neurological and she ran a test on me – negative results. The falls continued. I began to develop two ideas about the falls – one neurological and one functional. I thot that she understood my two ideas. She ordered an MRI and an x-ray. I thot I understood what areas tests covered. They showed nothing so she sent me to a neurologist. I spent almost two years with the neuro until I we finally discovered I had very severe degenerative arthritis of the hip. It turned out that she did not understand what I had told her, and I had not understood what the x-rays she ordered included. I ended up with a total hip replacement. ALWAYS have your dr show you what specific areas are being covered by the tests. ALWAYS have your dr explain back to you what they think you told them unless it is really obvious. The way patients use words and the way drs use words may differ,
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The effect of medical terminology on communication between healthcare professionals and Patients?2 comments to The effect of medical terminology on communication between healthcare professionals and Patients? |
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Always be careful that you understand what your doctor says to you and what she/he understands what you said to her/him. A few years ago, I began falling down with no reason. My dr thot it was neurological and she ran a test on me – negative results. The falls continued. I began to develop two ideas about the falls – one neurological and one functional. I thot that she understood my two ideas. She ordered an MRI and an x-ray. I thot I understood what areas tests covered. They showed nothing so she sent me to a neurologist. I spent almost two years with the neuro until I we finally discovered I had very severe degenerative arthritis of the hip. It turned out that she did not understand what I had told her, and I had not understood what the x-rays she ordered included. I ended up with a total hip replacement. ALWAYS have your dr show you what specific areas are being covered by the tests. ALWAYS have your dr explain back to you what they think you told them unless it is really obvious. The way patients use words and the way drs use words may differ,
References :
Personal experience.
The biggest problem with communication involving medical terms is that doctors, nurses & other medical personnel are so used to using medical words that they forget not everyone watches & understands words on "ER", "House", "Scrubs", & other TV shows. Also with many Spanish & other languages people are afraid to ask the doctors what they just said. So the patients leave, not knowing what the testing showed & what was really wrong with them. Often they only understand a few words & even if the doctor has written out results or things to be done, no one can read the notes. Often I have had a 6 year old child act as interpreter because no one in the house spoke English and I left not really sure the child really understood me. It can really get scary sometimes when someone just smiles, nodding all the time cause you really are not sure how much they understood. Those are the times you also realize that you have to use plain English words & make the person repeat what you said to them.
References :
NJ RN