Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Practice Perfect Editor
Mountain View
Medical &
Surgical Associates,
Madras, Oregon |
edial. Superior. Superficial. CHF. MI. Cephalad. Tendonosis. Caudal. In past editorials we’ve discussed various methods of communication with our patients — clearly an important topic. Many times we fail to communicate by lapsing into medical-speak. While on vacation recently, I had an interaction which crystallized this dilemma.
One morning during our vacation I performed my husbandly duty by going out early in the morning to buy my wife a coffee at Starbucks (she’s deadly without a cup of Joe). Now I’m not a coffee drinker and am clueless when it comes to the various coffee names, blends, sizes, and additives. My wife gave me explicit instructions to order a "Vente Vanilla Mochiado with an extra shot."
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The Barista World
Here’s how the interaction occurred when it was my turn to order.
Shapiro (smiling): "Hi. I’d like a Vente Vanilla Mochiado with an extra shot, please."
Associate 1: You want a what?" (Said with a clear look of disgust on his face.)
Shapiro: "A Vente Vanilla Mochiado with an extra shot?"
Associate 1:"What are you talking about? You want a Caramel Mochiado?"
Shapiro (No longer smiling): "Look, my wife told me she wants a Vente Vanilla Mochiado with an extra shot. I don’t know what that is, but that’s what she wants."
I had ordered the same thing the day before from a different person without any trouble. All of a sudden, the rules seemed to have changed. At this point a line was forming behind me.
Associate 1: He looks at me with a blank stare and says nothing. I’ve entered the coffee twilight zone.
Associate 2 (Stepping over to save the day): "I know what he wants. I helped him yesterday. He wants a Latté without caramel, with vanilla, and an extra shot of espresso."
Associate 1: Walks away without saying another word.
I get my wife’s coffee and leave, thoroughly annoyed both at the associate's rudeness and at the clear communication breakdown between me — the layman — and the coffee establishment, possessing its own terminology that I had no capacity (or desire) to understand. My wife had to explain later the nuances of coffee terminology. Apparently a latté is an espresso with steamed milk. "Why not just order an espresso?" I later argued. I’m sure the coffee people among you are shaking your heads in abhorrence.
Now, think about this from our patients’ standpoint. Imagine yourself as someone who has not spent four years in medical school and three years in residency immersed in the medical world and its terminology, listening as your doctor describes the bunionectomy definition below with full use of jargon.
The Doctor's World
You might say:
"The Austin Bunionectomy is a distal first metatarsal realignment osteotomy, Chevron-shaped with lateral-ward translocation, creating an improved triplanar first metatarsophalangeal joint alignment, improved function and decreased pain."
To your patient it sounds something like this:
"The Austin Bunionectomy is a blah first blah blah blah, often blah-shaped with blah blah, creating an improved blah first blah joint blah, improved function and decreased pain."
So, the next time you are discussing a medical topic with a patient, keep my coffee disaster in mind. Stick with clear jargonless terms. Use "arch-side" or "inside" instead of "medial," for instance. Stick with non-emotion-generating terms. Using the term "break the bone" in reference to "osteotomy" often fills patients with dread. Be clear, concise, and intelligible. Your patients will benefit.
Keep writing in with your thoughts and comments or visit eTalk on PRESENT Podiatry and start or get in on the discussion. We'll see you next week. Best wishes!
Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT New Docs Editor
[email protected]
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