07-06-2008, 07:18 AM
I'm copying and pasting from a different thread.. I know many people like myself had similar questions.. thought it was superb.
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How do we ask the patient in layman terms?
1. If they have gone through colonoscopy? since colonoscopy is medical term, is there a layman term for this?
2. Can we ask the patient if anyone of their family members have history of migrane in a patient with headache? similarly the patient who has chronic cough, can we ask history of lung cancer in the family sinec these two terms are medical terms and one of the term (Lung cancer) is alarming to the patient?
3. Do we have to advice the SP to take calcium and vitamin suplementation in case of osteoporosis? since we are not supposed to mention any treatments or referals, am I correct?
Dr. Reddy:
1. For most part the SP will understand when you say colonoscopy. You can also say "Have you had your colon checked recently?" If the SP still persists and wants to know what the procedure is all about (which is rare) then you can explain that "The procedure consists of the doctor inserting a tube into the patient's rectum and snaking it through the lower digestive system. There is a light at the end of the tube that allows the doctor to look for abnormalities and to take pictures. A smaller tube can be inserted into the lager tube for taking tissue samples and removing abnormalities."
2. (a) Yes you should definitely ask for family history of migraines in a patient presenting with cluster headaches as migraines have a tendency to run in families. A 2002 study reported that 33% of patients with chronic headache's also had family history of migraines.
(b) Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. in both men and women, At least four out of five cases are associated with cigarette smoking, as everyone knows the cause-and-effect relationship has been well documented. More than the Family history, I would concentrate on the patient's social history, allergic history and Medical history as some of the common causes of Chronic cough include Postnasal drip syndromes, Asthma, Bronchitis, GERD, S/E of ACE inhibitors, Smoking, or a lung disease caused by smoking (COPD). Off course in rare cases chronic cough can be caused by diseases such as tuberculosis or cancer of the lungs or oesophagus.
Although you need to assume that the SP will not understand most of the medical terminology, words like "Migraine" and "Cancer" have become part of the layman's general medical knowledge. In addition, if you feel what you said was not using plain language, you can look for red flags that signal a SP's misunderstanding.
3. Osteoporosis is the most frequently occurring bone disease in the United States, affecting 55% of those ages 50 and older. Americans have a high risk of osteoporosis, since their average diet contains only 600 mg of calcium daily. You should counsel all Post-Menopausal women, elderly patients and patients with history of fractures after trivial injury (Eg. Upper Back pain after picking up turkey from the oven) about Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation.
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How do we ask the patient in layman terms?
1. If they have gone through colonoscopy? since colonoscopy is medical term, is there a layman term for this?
2. Can we ask the patient if anyone of their family members have history of migrane in a patient with headache? similarly the patient who has chronic cough, can we ask history of lung cancer in the family sinec these two terms are medical terms and one of the term (Lung cancer) is alarming to the patient?
3. Do we have to advice the SP to take calcium and vitamin suplementation in case of osteoporosis? since we are not supposed to mention any treatments or referals, am I correct?
Dr. Reddy:
1. For most part the SP will understand when you say colonoscopy. You can also say "Have you had your colon checked recently?" If the SP still persists and wants to know what the procedure is all about (which is rare) then you can explain that "The procedure consists of the doctor inserting a tube into the patient's rectum and snaking it through the lower digestive system. There is a light at the end of the tube that allows the doctor to look for abnormalities and to take pictures. A smaller tube can be inserted into the lager tube for taking tissue samples and removing abnormalities."
2. (a) Yes you should definitely ask for family history of migraines in a patient presenting with cluster headaches as migraines have a tendency to run in families. A 2002 study reported that 33% of patients with chronic headache's also had family history of migraines.
(b) Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. in both men and women, At least four out of five cases are associated with cigarette smoking, as everyone knows the cause-and-effect relationship has been well documented. More than the Family history, I would concentrate on the patient's social history, allergic history and Medical history as some of the common causes of Chronic cough include Postnasal drip syndromes, Asthma, Bronchitis, GERD, S/E of ACE inhibitors, Smoking, or a lung disease caused by smoking (COPD). Off course in rare cases chronic cough can be caused by diseases such as tuberculosis or cancer of the lungs or oesophagus.
Although you need to assume that the SP will not understand most of the medical terminology, words like "Migraine" and "Cancer" have become part of the layman's general medical knowledge. In addition, if you feel what you said was not using plain language, you can look for red flags that signal a SP's misunderstanding.
3. Osteoporosis is the most frequently occurring bone disease in the United States, affecting 55% of those ages 50 and older. Americans have a high risk of osteoporosis, since their average diet contains only 600 mg of calcium daily. You should counsel all Post-Menopausal women, elderly patients and patients with history of fractures after trivial injury (Eg. Upper Back pain after picking up turkey from the oven) about Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation.