Many Doctors assume that their patients understand basic medical terms. However, this is not always the case: Even in the case of German-language terms such as colonoscopy or heartburn patients is not always clear what exactly is meant by this.
"Do you suffer from Angina Pectoris?" These and other questions challenged the Doctors to a private lecturer Dr. Felix Gundling, Klinikum Bogenhausen, almost 200 patients. Around a third of the patients did not know in this question, what was meant to be. A further third said it know, they could not explain, on closer survey, however, is that it is attack-like pain in the chest, which point to serious disorders of blood circulation in the heart muscle.
It was not only in Latin or Greek technical terms such as Edema or Reflux, but also in German terms, such as constipation, colonoscopy, or heartburn. This is believed to know nearly all of the respondents, yet some came to Stumble, if you should explain what you understand exactly under it. The study authors now report in the "German Medical Wochenschrift".
Overall, the Munich physicians were 43 common medical terms to explain. In addition, they asked questions to the structure of the human body. Three-quarters of the participants were able to assign most of the organs correctly – only where the pancreas or spleen, knew less than half of the respondents.
Finally, the researchers from the correct answers identified a number of points and compared various groups of patients. Not surprisingly, patients with longer education were able to answer more questions correctly. Frequent visits to the doctor and extended the medicine of the laity do not know, however, Older people had gaps greater knowledge than younger people. Women knew better than men, private-accomplished reported to be insured as a cash patient. Newspaper readers knew only tends to be better, while TV viewing had no influence on the knowledge.
dh/PZ/NK