What do you think about the use of medical jargon?

[Jona00baka]

Technical words have been properly used, considering that the some technical word can not be simplified further, lest they lose their meaning. Those who are passing through similar situation can easily relate and for those who may face it in future, will be able to grasp the terms easily from medical practitioner. And to those of us who are not medical practitioners, we have learnt some medical terms and concepts through that. I am okay with it.

[Unique Ego]

The author has gone to the extent of describing, at the very beginning of the book, she being diagnosed with a cancer, the tests that were done, the procedures and their results, the names of medications, etc. Is it a good thing to include that much technical content in a book which is intended for non-medical personnel?

I can see how that much jargon could be a problem for the intended audience. I wouldn't go as far as saying it is wrong to include that much technical information. Some readers may see it as an opportunity to learn new stuff, while others may be put off by it. So I think it depends on who is reading.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I don’t believe it is wrong of the author to use those terms. It came from her personal experience and those who have gone through or are going through the same things are better able to relate to the book. Reading the different terms just gives everyone a better understanding into the world of health care and better understand where some people are coming from.

Using technical terms will give a better understanding for those who are familiar with those terms or the fields. But what will happen to the common readers. They will be further confused. So it is good that a book related to some speciality being written by a specialist in that field, but if it is written for the general population then it is better to use commonly used terms as much as possible rather than going for technical terms.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Apart from the technical terms which might not be understood by some readers, the book is genuinely interesting and inspirational. I believe the woman is brave due to the way she faces her challenges and even goes an extra mile to educate others and inspire others with medical conditions.

I too give her credits for being honest and also courageous. She was courageous enough to face her own illness and continue her life, and also she was brave enough to reveal some dark secrets related to the business aspect of medicine, of which no one in the field will talk so openly. So may be the book might not be understood very well by each and every reader, but those who understand it will find that it is a comprehensive read.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Personally, I liked the medical jargon. I knew some of it from when my mother got cancer. However, there was information in the text which may come in handy sometime. Cancer is a beast, and there are various forms. It would be nice to be armed with some information just in case.

Knowledge is power, I agree with you. as medicine is a field in which all of us are involved in somehow, at least one day, it is better to be educated about it. Cancer is such an area in which being knowledgeable will help the patients a lot. So, yes, in that aspect this book does a great service and the medical terms will come in handy for those who really need to know them.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I believe the author’s intention is to be as detailed as possible so that anyone who is or who finds themselves in a similar situation can relate to her experience. I don't think including all that technical content is bad at all.

Now I see that it might also be the author's intention to make the book more relatable, but I think that still some medical terms could have been avoided or, at least, better explained to the general public or explained with simple words when possible too.

One of my doctor's wives was diagnosed with three different forms of cancer. They did an article about her recently, and there was a lot of medical jargon in the news report. However, I found it helpful they added links to the journals and studies used when researching different forms of treatments. I think if this book did the same it might help people better understand the jargon. The journals the newspaper article showed had less jargon than the the actual article. It was crazy.

Exactly. The news article knew its target audience and the article was simplified accordingly. But they did not want to change its content or reduce its value, so they included the links to the original document. So the ones who need actual facts or the facts in detail can refer that, while the less enthusiastic ones can be satisfied from the simplified details. I think this author could have had the same approach.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I don't think it's wrong for the author to include such details. Disclosing all the details makes the reader feel like they are part of her journey and it makes the reader relate to what the author is experiencing. I honestly think it's essential.

I do not say that the author had to hide anything. More or less this author's story will be the same story of any cancer patient, so including all the details will make it easy for anyone to relate it. But for that they should understand it correctly. But the too much use of medical jargon can be a hindrance for that.

[Yvonne Monique]

I think that is extremely useful to include the medical terms and names of medicines, as people who are going through the same ordeal as the author can be helped by these thorough explanations.

[Raluca_Mihaila]

The information, even if very technical and detailed, might be very helpful for other people struggling withe the same disease. Also, it lends authenticity to the author's story.

[Marcel Cantu]

The author has gone to the extent of describing, at the very beginning of the book, she being diagnosed with a cancer, the tests that were done, the procedures and their results, the names of medications, etc. Is it a good thing to include that much technical content in a book which is intended for non-medical personnel?

I think it had both pros and cons, it can be difficult to read through so much medical language as someone who is not familiar with it, but it does add specificity to the situation.

[Mariana Figueira]

I don't know how relatable is this, but I'm in the medical field so I hardly noticed the jargon, and I personally appreciated the level of detail. Also, I felt like it made her diagnosis objective, and I liked that.

[Timothy Rucinski]

I think that the "jargon" presented in the opening section was just fine. The author indicates that her illness occurred prior to publication, so it made perfect sense for her to highlight the issues upfront, rather than in an Afterword. It also provided a very interesting comparison to the rest of the book as she repeatedly cited the need to ask questions and advocate for one's self. How many of us, confronted with the information of her diagnoses as she presented it, would ask relevant questions or simply just accept the "jargon" because it came from a health professional? Food for thought.

[Dimi1]

It's probably keeping the interest going. Readers are likely to engage with the terms described and look them up. It's actually a win-win case!

[Ahbed Nadir]

She's right to go into details as she's trying to make sure she leaves no stone unturned in her description of the medical technicalities she had to go through to receive appropriate treatment.

[Harty Muli]

I think its alright because it lends some credence to the writing. Furthermore, any reader who would read such books may already know what to expect.