Family Medicine Notes: January 09, 2004 Archives
He’s got a nice post about how different professions speak their own languages. I agree, but I think that docs in particular might be worse about using ‘doctor’ language with patients when regular words would be less technically correct but much more understandable.
So, what’s the dumbest thing your doctor has said to you?
via Tales of Hoffman
I agree, doctors need to speak in plain “english” so that their patients have a better understanding of their healthcare situation and their treatment options. Doctors tend to overwhelm the patient so the patient really does not know what to do except agree and follow the doctors suggestiosn blindly. Doctors are humans, not gods, and treat to treat their patients as humans, not lesser beings.
That’s what I said.
Do optometrists count? “You have glaucoma startng, but I wouldn’t worry.” Yeah, because it’s not YOUR glaucoma! How bad is it, can it be stopped or even excised… I happen to LIKE being able to see and read!
I, too, have been the recipient of the “beginning of glaucoma” news. I’ve been assured that, as we age (urk!), all of will eventually have this. Is this true????
I have no idea. I do know that it’s very nearly perfectly useless information, like, “you may be developing some heart disease”. Whatever are people to do with that?