Yet Another Reason I Hate Humanity

[Iason Ouabache]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/bc-srp061009.php

A study of patients and members of the public has shown that most lack even basic knowledge of human anatomy. The research, featured in the open access journal BMC Family Practice, found that people were generally incapable of identifying the location of major organs, even if they were currently receiving relevant treatment.

John Weinman led a team of researchers from King's College London who aimed to update a similar survey carried out almost forty years ago. He said, "We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health related topics, and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge. As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years".

The 722 people who took part in the study were shown pictures of the human body (male or female) with certain areas shaded out and were asked which of the shaded areas was the location of a given organ. Although 85.9% of people could identify the location of the intestines and 80.7% knew where the bladder could be found, only 46.5% of people correctly identified the heart and 68.6% misidentified the position of the lungs. Overall, approximately half of the answers were correct. There was no significant difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used.

The researchers are concerned about the potential problems these findings reveal in doctor-patient communication, with possible adverse effects on diagnosis and treatment outcomes. According to Weinman, "Recent evidence has shown that when doctors' and patients' vocabulary are matched, significant gains are found in patients' overall satisfaction with the consultation as well as rapport, communication comfort and compliance intent".

Who the fuck are these idiots that don't know where the heart and lungs are?????

[The Good Reverend Roger]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/bc-srp061009.php

A study of patients and members of the public has shown that most lack even basic knowledge of human anatomy. The research, featured in the open access journal BMC Family Practice, found that people were generally incapable of identifying the location of major organs, even if they were currently receiving relevant treatment.

John Weinman led a team of researchers from King's College London who aimed to update a similar survey carried out almost forty years ago. He said, "We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health related topics, and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge. As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years".

The 722 people who took part in the study were shown pictures of the human body (male or female) with certain areas shaded out and were asked which of the shaded areas was the location of a given organ. Although 85.9% of people could identify the location of the intestines and 80.7% knew where the bladder could be found, only 46.5% of people correctly identified the heart and 68.6% misidentified the position of the lungs. Overall, approximately half of the answers were correct. There was no significant difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used.

The researchers are concerned about the potential problems these findings reveal in doctor-patient communication, with possible adverse effects on diagnosis and treatment outcomes. According to Weinman, "Recent evidence has shown that when doctors' and patients' vocabulary are matched, significant gains are found in patients' overall satisfaction with the consultation as well as rapport, communication comfort and compliance intent".

Who the fuck are these idiots that don't know where the heart and lungs are?????

They're right where Baby Jesus put them, thank you very much.

[Kai]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/bc-srp061009.php

A study of patients and members of the public has shown that most lack even basic knowledge of human anatomy. The research, featured in the open access journal BMC Family Practice, found that people were generally incapable of identifying the location of major organs, even if they were currently receiving relevant treatment.

John Weinman led a team of researchers from King's College London who aimed to update a similar survey carried out almost forty years ago. He said, "We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health related topics, and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge. As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years".

The 722 people who took part in the study were shown pictures of the human body (male or female) with certain areas shaded out and were asked which of the shaded areas was the location of a given organ. Although 85.9% of people could identify the location of the intestines and 80.7% knew where the bladder could be found, only 46.5% of people correctly identified the heart and 68.6% misidentified the position of the lungs. Overall, approximately half of the answers were correct. There was no significant difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used.

The researchers are concerned about the potential problems these findings reveal in doctor-patient communication, with possible adverse effects on diagnosis and treatment outcomes. According to Weinman, "Recent evidence has shown that when doctors' and patients' vocabulary are matched, significant gains are found in patients' overall satisfaction with the consultation as well as rapport, communication comfort and compliance intent".

Who the fuck are these idiots that don't know where the heart and lungs are?????

This doesn't surprise me, nor should it surprise anyone.

[Requia ☣]

I have no idea where the bladder is...

I can feel my heartbeat though, 90% sure my heart is right there.

[Cramulus]

Guys I seem to have misplaced my entire organs

can anybody help me find it?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

 

[Cain]

Right, that's it.

I'm now putting my doctor friends on retainer.  I can no longer trust the public if I require first aid.

[Thurnez Isa]

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

Well, depending on what it is, sometimes you can... of course, there's a huge difference between "I have a cold" and "I have premature atrial contractions".

[Xooxe]

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

Well, depending on what it is, sometimes you can... of course, there's a huge difference between "I have a cold" and "I have premature atrial contractions".

I went to see a doctor back in January because I was getting crushing chest pains and stabbing pains in my back. I thought it was muscular but she was trying to convince me to get loads of tests because she thought it sounded like angina or at least heartburn. It obviously wasn't, so I got a second opinion, and yep - it was muscular. Tension from a little muscle in my jaw was screwing up my neck, and in turn my shoulders and back. Sometimes it's easier to tell what's wrong when you can feel your own body.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

Well, depending on what it is, sometimes you can... of course, there's a huge difference between "I have a cold" and "I have premature atrial contractions".

I went to see a doctor back in January because I was getting crushing chest pains and stabbing pains in my back. I thought it was muscular but she was trying to convince me to get loads of tests because she thought it sounded like angina or at least heartburn. It obviously wasn't, so I got a second opinion, and yep - it was muscular. Tension from a little muscle in my jaw was screwing up my neck, and in turn my shoulders and back. Sometimes it's easier to tell what's wrong when you can feel your own body.

I thought I was having indigestion, and I keeled over with a heart attack.

Yep.  Sure is easy to be a internal medicine specialist, when you can feel your own body.

[Requia ☣]

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

Well, depending on what it is, sometimes you can... of course, there's a huge difference between "I have a cold" and "I have premature atrial contractions".

I went to see a doctor back in January because I was getting crushing chest pains and stabbing pains in my back. I thought it was muscular but she was trying to convince me to get loads of tests because she thought it sounded like angina or at least heartburn. It obviously wasn't, so I got a second opinion, and yep - it was muscular. Tension from a little muscle in my jaw was screwing up my neck, and in turn my shoulders and back. Sometimes it's easier to tell what's wrong when you can feel your own body.

Um what?  Did she detect an irregular heartbeat or something?

Angina is pretty obvious...  stabbing pains, heart does something funky at the same time.  It took the nurses all of 30 seconds to rule it out when I dislocated my sternum.

[bones]

@OP: The first thing that'll save us is that there are many, many who are much, much stupider than us and they will mostly die first.

The best part is most people I know think they can "diagnose themselves"

Well, depending on what it is, sometimes you can... of course, there's a huge difference between "I have a cold" and "I have premature atrial contractions swine flu".

I went to see a doctor back in January because I was getting crushing chest pains and stabbing pains in my back. I thought it was muscular but she was trying to convince me to get loads of tests because she thought it sounded like angina or at least heartburn. It obviously wasn't, so I got a second opinion, and yep - it was muscular. Tension from a little muscle in my jaw was screwing up my neck, and in turn my shoulders and back. Sometimes it's easier to tell what's wrong when you can feel your own body.

I thought I was having indigestion, and I keeled over with a heart attack.

Yep.  Sure is easy to be a internal medicine specialist, when you can feel your own body.

This is probably a better resource for refuting a given diagnosis than providing your own. Sometimes you can tell that a doctor is unsure, or flat out wrong, but instinct telling you to get a 2nd professional opinion is very different to it telling you to ignore something. I'm certainly not judging your actions, Roger, just the extent of your sarcasm in that last post.

*edited for typo*

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I once had a cardiologist tell me there was nothing wrong with my heart and that it was all in my head, after examining me and having me wear a monitor thing around for a couple of days. A few years later, it took 15 minutes in my GP's office hooked up to an ECG monitor for my regular doctor to tell me exactly what kind of arrhythmia I have.

Even highly-paid specialists miss the diagnosis, sometimes.

[Cainad (dec.)]

I once had a cardiologist tell me there was nothing wrong with my heart and that it was all in my head, after examining me and having me wear a monitor thing around for a couple of days. A few years later, it took 15 minutes in my GP's office hooked up to an ECG monitor for my regular doctor to tell me exactly what kind of arrhythmia I have.

Even highly-paid specialists miss the diagnosis, sometimes.

Which is why, in these situations, you need to get an appointment with my mom.

She's a general practitioner, and she would have diagnosed all the problems of everyone ITT within five minutes of you walking into her office. With her eyes closed. She's like Dr. House minus the dickery.