Misuse of Terminology by Medical Centers in America Hinders Treatment, Says Study by Mesa Chustis
American liver transplant and rehabilitation centers are hesitating to treat alcoholics due to the 'inappropriate' terminology used by them.
According to media reports, recent studies conducted by American experts have found that the use of inappropriate terminology online for patients affected by alcoholism leads to reluctance among patients to seek treatment at medical institutions. This delay in diagnosis affects the process of transplantation.
The aforementioned study, published on the JAMA Network Open, was conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital across more than 200 medical centers. It revealed that 80% of transplant centers and 31% of rehabilitation centers used terms such as "drinker," "alcoholic," and "alcohol abuse," which are deemed unacceptable for professional use.
The report also found that the proportion of inappropriate terminology used on the websites of institutions regarding alcoholism and related liver disease was 88% for transplant centers and 46% for rehabilitation centers.
Researchers demand better sensitivity to online materials concerning patients, stressing the importance of utilizing medical terminology in the best possible manner for online usage. They also suggest initiating large-scale awareness and educational campaigns on this matter.