References

As I was reading the references I have selected for my paper and presentation, I was surprised by the problems faced by doctors when they try to relate the medical problems faced by patients and the treatments necessary for those problems. This is even the case with patients who speak the same first language as their doctor. Insuring that patients are fully informed has proved to be very important since without full knowledge of their diagnoses and treatment not only may the doctor be liable for any malpractice due to lack of understanding of a patient’s body chemistry but the risks to the patient can be dire. I have also found that psychological as well as physical damage may be impacted upon the patient. This could be from the lack of understanding, and thus respect, of a patient’s cultural and religious beliefs. Such circumstances could instill fear and distrust in a person for all medical professional.

So, how do professionals relate the medical conditions and treatment to their patients? In a study by Joanne G. Schwartzberg MD; Allison Cowett MD, MPH; Jonathan VanGeest, PhD; and Michael S. Wolf, PhD, MPH the different strategies that medical professional use to inform their patients with poor “health literacy” (understanding of medical terminology). The study found a great deal of variance in the techniques used by physicians, registered nurses, and pharmacists. These techniques includes speaking slowly, asking patients to repeat information, presenting 2 or 3 concepts at a time and checking to see if the patients understand, using simple language, etc. Of the techniques covered by the study, 11 of the 14 were used for one of the professions more than the others. It was later suggested in the paper that further study be done to see which techniques different medical personnel rely on more in order to see if any changes could be made to increase interpretation efficiency.

My final sources deals with the assimilation of medical information across languages by medical students and practioneers. It is important for new ideas and break-throughs in medicine that a discourse occurs with highly informed and well studied individuals. However, due the difficulties in language, non-English speaking medical students have been found to use plagiarism for a large portion of their work. This could well represent a lack of understanding not only in other languages but also in the material itself. Obviously such misunderstandings can lead to consequences when these individuals enter the workforce.