Truthfully, I thought this lecture was going to be a bunch of fluffy/boring talk. However, I was very surprised by some of the facts that are probably obvious, but I just never really thought about as a medical student. For example (from lecture):
•48% of Americans have inadequate or marginal literacy skills
•21% cannot sign name of find expiration date on license
•48% cannot fill out a social security application or find an intersection on a street map
•75% cannot interpret a bar graph
It was interesting to watch the video and see a poor old man mistaken hypertension (high blood pressure) for being hyperactive or another man explaining that when he was late to an appointment and angrily stormed away after being told to fill out a form, he did so to cover up the fact that he was functionally illiterate. It made me think how many other times I've gotten angry/upset at people, not realizing the true reason they were the way they were.
And then we had a very interesting "game show" where 3 groups had to try and come up with explanation of certain medical terms such as colonoscopy, anti-inflammatory drug, hypertension, and chemotherapy. One kid tried to describe anti-inflammatory drug as "a medicine that prevents your body from its defense mechanisms" - I don't think that little old man would have understood.
Then we focused on the reverse: colloquial terms that patients use. Some of these I had no idea what they were:
•Bad blood: syphillis
•“The spirit catches you and you fall down” : epilepsy
•Falling out: fainting
•Dropsy: edema
•German measles: rubella
•Ashy: dry skin
Woah, interesting article! In my ninth grade physical science class, the teacher taught the class how to read an analogue clock and using a ruler. She said that she's definitely taught classes were students didn't know. It's sad but a lot of kids read below grade level. The situation just gets worse when they get older.
ReplyDeleteSo that's what dropsy meant! I was always wondering...
ReplyDeleteHi Yi, it's Grace Yuen. :)
ReplyDeleteDude Yi when you posted a comment, I think I realized for the first time that we have the same initials.
ReplyDelete