What do you think about the use of medical jargon?

Use this forum to discuss the May 2021 Book of the month, "Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power" by Barbara Galutia Regis PA-C
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Amanda Dobson
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Re: What do you think about the use of medical jargon?

Post by Amanda Dobson »

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.
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Post by Yusuf11 »

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.
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Post by Sarrikoziol »

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.
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Post by Sarrikoziol »

gabrielletiemi wrote: 01 Jun 2021, 12:42
Buk Nerd wrote: 01 Jun 2021, 09:55 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.
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Post by Gemjay »

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.
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Post by ReviewerDiksha »

I think it is not unnecessary, because the book isn't JUST for non-medical personnel. You can't know the background of the reader. And for the author to share their medical jargon can be relatable to a reader who is going through something similar.
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

I thought the exact experiences and truth about medical terms and the real ness of cancer is a great thing to offer discussion about. Is it her intention to want to create a “comfortable “ side to the ugliness of being diagnosed with cancer? Medical terminology is real and to understand what things actually mean is what will get people through this together.
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Post by Alice Thokchom »

I think it is good to include medical jargons. In practical, we are going to come across all these words. Even if it's a little difficult for people, it's beneficial.
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Post by Huini Hellen »

Sushan wrote: 31 May 2021, 23:50 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?
The use of specific vocabulary that is relevant to a certain field gives the book a sense of authenticity or originality. Moreover, it helps readers to get acquainted to that field.
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Post by Mys_Trea »

I think it's good that the author went into exact details of her condition, medication, etc. Anyone who is yet to undergo the same challenge can then take reference from there. Also, once you have been diagnosed with a rare disease, or any disease at all, it becomes a big part of your life. Those complicated terms and 10 different types of medication start to roll off your tongue quite naturally. Thus, I think the author has done a great job in sharing all that with us. She is, indeed, phenomenal.
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Post by Dzejn_Crvena »

In the first part of the book, the author explained the type of cancer that he has.
It's a good thing to include medical jargons that will help the readers know more about her practice as well as her condition.
Jargons are necessary to retain the book's authenticity.
Besides, she's raised by a family of doctors. She can't help talk about them in her everyday conversations.
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Post by Ghuddie eso »

Medical jargons couldn't have been avoided because the book focuses on medical health. So I don't think the use of medical jargons will be too much for the reader. It wasn't for me.
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Post by Jagiine »

I think it's fine. As someone who has always been interested in the medical field, I may be a bit biased, but I don't think it's an isolated issue. When people read historical fiction or fantasy novels, for example, they expect to come across unfamiliar terms. They then either get the gist through context or they look the words up (I usually do a combination). With medical jargon specifically, people accept that it's just a part of the environment when they watch medical dramas and such. I don't think this is any different aside from the fact that it may feel intimidating to some. However, as others have noted, a large part of this book's readership is likely to be those who have had to deal with cancer or other medical issues personally or with a loved one. Doctors must speak to the layman to have good bedside manner, but they also must know when to use real words and not speak down to their patients. Having clear labels for medical issues also gives people the ability to say, "That's the same thing I had, and we approached it in this way," rather than, "That sounds like it might be kind of like what I went through." Thus, I think a lot of readers will appreciate the inclusion of medical terms.
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Post by Kristy Khem »

The use of medical terms in the book may help others to understand. There might be relatable things for some readers too; especially if any reader is in the medical profession or if they went through a similar diagnosis. Overall, it's a good thing from an educational perspective. It encourages readers to do a little research themselves.
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Post by Kavita Shah »

Medical jargon can be tedious. The authors purpose is to help the readers and if we see the medical terms then we will get the basic idea. I feel bored when the medical content overpowers the concept of the book. It was unavoidable but it was important.
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