Understanding Medical Jargon
Problems understanding medical jargon can prove especially confusing for minority ethnic groups, according to new research.
The study, by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), into communication between health professionals and Britain’s Bangladeshi community found serious misunderstandings about genetic disorders in pregnancy.
Understanding the distinction between being "affected" and being a "carrier" of certain genetic disorders proved difficult and led to confusion over whether to terminate pregnancies.
Earlier studies have found that similar confusions are common among the general public, but the difficulties of translation can make minority groups, such as Bangladeshis, especially vulnerable to such misunderstandings.
Medical information that there was a 75 % chance of a child not being affected by a condition was interpreted to mean that the child would be 75% normal, researchers found. Women with limited English often depended on family members to interpret what they were told by consultants and the use of interpreters could be problematic because there was not always an appropriate translation for medical terms.
The study, by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), into communication between health professionals and Britain’s Bangladeshi community found serious misunderstandings about genetic disorders in pregnancy.
Understanding the distinction between being "affected" and being a "carrier" of certain genetic disorders proved difficult and led to confusion over whether to terminate pregnancies.
Earlier studies have found that similar confusions are common among the general public, but the difficulties of translation can make minority groups, such as Bangladeshis, especially vulnerable to such misunderstandings.
Medical information that there was a 75 % chance of a child not being affected by a condition was interpreted to mean that the child would be 75% normal, researchers found. Women with limited English often depended on family members to interpret what they were told by consultants and the use of interpreters could be problematic because there was not always an appropriate translation for medical terms.
posted by Chalmers and Byrne Training at
12:39
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