When reading medical notes or letters, or searching for information online, do you often find yourself trying to cryptically decode a series of letters, or frequently Googling the meaning of words to find out what they mean?
Medical jargon is commonly used throughout the healthcare industry, and whilst this may be understood between clinicians and healthcare staff, it can be difficult for people outside of the profession to understand.
In this article, we look at what medical jargon is, why it is important, and how we can work to make medical language more accessible for all!
Medical jargon is a term to describe the language used that is specific to the medical industry.
Examples of medical jargon include descriptive words such as cardi/o for things relating to the heart, or oste/o for things relating to bones. In addition, medically correct terms are also examples of medical jargon, for example, what we know as a bruise is medically known as a contusion.
Abbreviations and acronyms also form part of medical jargon – for example C-spine, an abbreviation for cervical spine; CPN, an acronym for Community Psychiatric Nurse; Dx, an abbreviation often used to mean diagnosis.
Whilst it may be frustrating as a non-medical professional to have to decipher jumbles of letters and attempt to pronounce long and complicated-sounding words, there is a place for this terminology in the medical profession.
Medical terminology allows medical professionals to communicate effectively and helps to avoid misinterpretation or confusion. This terminology avoids vagueness and leaves little room for uncertainty, which can improve patient or resident safety and experiences.
Additionally, abbreviations and acronyms can help to save time when making notes, which frees up more time for physical care and means that care can be more efficient.
However, there is a time when this medical terminology becomes jargon, and in these scenarios, it is important that healthcare professionals work to make the language more accessible.
Whilst medical terminology has its place within healthcare settings, research into the use of language when communicating with patients or residents has shown that using medical terminology leads to confusion and misunderstanding.
A study conducted by Renda Soylemez Wiener et al. in 2012 featured 22 participants with a pulmonary nodule (an abnormal growth in the lungs, most of which are usually benign and not cancerous.
Transcripts of patient descriptions of conversations with their clinicians were analysed. The researchers found that in instances where the discovery of the nodule was described using jargon, or was poorly explained, patients were left feeling worried, frustrated, and distressed, while in instances where the discovery of the nodule was described in simple terms, patients were more satisfied and found it helpful.
Furthermore, as described in an article published in the BMJ in 2014, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) called for doctors to avoid using jargon when talking to patients. A 2014 report from an RCGP-led health literacy workshop, authored by Gill Rowlands et al., identified that doctors often used words that patients were unfamiliar with.
An example provided in the report identifies a patient referred for a chest X-ray who could not find the correct department, as the sign was labelled “Radiology” and he was too embarrassed to ask for directions.
This research suggests that there are still improvements to be made in making language more accessible to everyone, so how can we help to achieve this?
In this video from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, The New Yorker cartoonist Ben Schwartz offers an interesting perspective on medical jargon and how healthcare professionals could use storytelling techniques to consider the perspective of the patient, resident, or loved one when communicating:
As a healthcare professional, it is important to think about your patient or resident and their family members when communicating important medical information. Consider that they may not know much of the terminology used and try to simplify your language as much as possible.
It is important to ask your doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional any questions you have and ask for clarification on anything that you are unsure about.
If your healthcare professional is using terms that you don’t understand, you could ask them to explain things in non-medical terms or in a different way to allow you to gain a better understanding.
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British Medical Journal, 2014. Doctors must avoid jargon when talking to patients, royal college says. BMJ 2014;348:g4131
Gill Rowlands, Joanne Protheroe, Hannah Price, Bob Gann, Imran Raf (2014). Health Literacy: Report from an RCGP-led health literacy workshop.
Renda Soylemez Wiener, Michael K. Gould, Steven Woloshin, Lisa M. Schwartz, Jack A. Clark (2012). What Do You Mean, a Spot?
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash.
