Infant Mortality Globally and Locally

The infant mortality rate is a number that countries use to figure out the health of their

Country. The infant mortality rate is officially defined as deaths (per 1000 live births) in 

the 1st year of life (Miller, 1985). I wanted to use Miller’s definition because it was the 

simplest form to understand. There was no real way to reword it. This affects everyone 

in the world. The reason that it affects everyone is because it has to do with the overall 

health of an area. If the infant mortality rate of an area is really high, than you probably 

want to be looking at some of the things that affect this. Such as, the quality of the 

neighborhood, the quality of water, education of the women in the area and the access 

to health care.

Taking it to a more global outlook, you would look at the education of the women in the 

country, the GDP of the country, the countries clean water ways and the medical care 

system set up in the country. “The apparent association between the causes of infant 

mortality and other factors that are likely to influence the health status of whole 

populations such as their economic development, general living conditions, social well 

being, rates of illness, and the quality of the environment” (Allotey, Reidpath, 2002). All 

of the things that Allotey and Reidpath mention all have an aspect in the overall health of 

a country. When the IMR is really high in a country, it means that there is something 

wrong environmentally or in the health care system, whether it be bad water in a certain 

area or lack of quality health care to prevent young deaths. 

This is a problem because infant mortality rate proves the overall quality of health in a 

country. Why this is, because if we do not provide better health care for the mothers 

and the infants than our infant mortality rate goes up and shows that we do not have the 

means to properly continue our population. This also shows us where we need better 

health care and where there is a problem. The more infant deaths there are in a country 

or area, the more health problems in the area as a whole.

The consequences of having a low infant mortality rate is a shorter life expectancy 

because of not getting the proper care, affects the disease and infection in the area and 

so forth. This affects the larger society because we need to make sure that our country 

is being taken care of in the proper way. As an industrialized country we should have 

one of the best IMR’s but really we have one of the lowest! This can cause a lower life 

expectancy in the worse off areas. 

Why does IMR determine the health of a country? Well, it seems that the high IMR’s 

are in places that have a lower quality of life and more chance of disease. There are 

many other factors that play into this, but there seems to be a correlation between 

poverty and a high IMR in the area. This however, does not explain why the US has one 

of the highest IMR’s in the world. I am going to leave you with the question, Why do 

you think that our country has one of the highest IMR’s in the world?

References

Reidpath, D. D., and P. Allotey. "Infant Mortality Rate as an Indicator of Population

Health." N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2013.

Miller, C. A. "Infant Mortality in the US." National Center for Biotechnology

          Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 23 May 2013.

Medical Slang

Medical Slang

After talking about medical slang in class, I was very interested to learn more about it. While discussing medical slang in class, we learned five different reasons it is used. The use of slang serves to create a sense of belonging, establish a unique identity, provide a private means of communication, creates opportunities for humor and wit, and soften tragedies and emotions. Although these are all interesting, after looking more into medical slang I thought I would focus on the pros and cons of slang.

            Using slang in the medical field does not come with a lot of pros. One good thing about medical slang would be not scaring the patient, because they would not know what the doctor is talking about for the most part. It is better for the patient when the doctors explain everything in words that the patient will understand. “The primary benefit of using medical terminology is so that those involved in the medical field will have a common language.  In this way, one doctor can call another for a consultation over the phone and have a specific understand of a situation. Using the same medical terminology eliminates misunderstanding” (Litherland).

            There are many cons with using slang while at work in the medical field. The patient may misinterpret what the doctor is saying. This could be extremely bad because it could lead to scaring the patient as well as possibly offending the patient. “Some slang is pejorative, that is, uncomplimentary or even abusive. Examples in medical language include crock and gomer, both referring to tiresome, difficult, or hypochondriacal patients” (Dirckx). Each of these terms are not necessarily the most genuine, which could potentially upset the patient if they are able to distinguish what the doctor is saying.

           

            In my opinion, I feel that doctors should only use this type of slang only around other doctors or coworkers, as well as where no one else can hear them. Because there can be a lot of confusion, or misinterpretation, it would be better for the doctor and the patient if this lingo was just not used in front of a patient at all. This also saves time for the doctor so they are not explaining to the patient what they just said. Although sometimes there is no way around medical slang and terminology, the doctor with have to “dumb down” this jargon in order for the patients to understand.

References:

Dirckx, John H. "Urines Are Cooking:Perspectives On Medical Slang and Jargon." (n.d.): n. pag. Sept. 2004. Web.

Litherland, N.Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_5775696_advantages-using-medical-terminology_.html

BLOG POST #3 DUE THURS MAY 30TH (DEADLINE EXTENDED)

Since the last blog post, we have delved into topics related primarily to the patient experience of illness. We have discussed the factors related to people seeking treatment from professionals, as well as learned that most of the time people engage in self-care, and a growing majority of patients use some type of complementary or alternative therapy in their life.
While some of you may be blogging on your final research project topic, here are some ideas for posts that relate to our recent class discussions:

1) The Emotional Side of Illness
When dealing with chronic or acute illnesses, people often report that they are more depressed, have more anxiety, even experience a "loss of self".  What are the most important factors in whether a personal will reconstruct their personal narrative, or experience debilitating mental illness as a result of a physical condition? Review an article on the loss of self or biographical disruption. How do you think health professionals can (if at all) integrate this knowledge into how they care and interact with patients?

2) Health Practices in Daily Life
A large majority of people who report using complementary and alternative medicines say they do so not to treat an illness, but as part of a lifestyle that is oriented toward staying well, and includes tests and check-ups at the hospital. Research a practice that people might do everyday, and provide a discussion of the physical or mental effects of that practice, including risk of  specific illnesses.  Then, perhaps using a sociological theory, give insight into why doctors do not prescribe scientifically proven practices in a hospital setting. 

3) The Future of Service Utilization
Our health care system is undergoing some major changes that are likely to impact how people engage with services. Discuss at least one trend, and elaborate on how this will effect how many people use services, who those people are (demographically, financially, etc), and how that will impact their relationship with health professionals. Examples of trends are:
* Increasing technology in health care
* Expanding coverage of health insurance
* Rapidly aging population
* Increasing proportion of Hispanic Americans
* Rise of complentay and alternative medicine
* Use of the internet for symptom identification and treatment

Doctor-Patient Interaction

 

 

     In class we talked about different doctor-patient interactions. I am going to talk about the three different types that were mentioned and why doctor-patient interaction is important.

     First I am going to explain to you what a doctor-patient interaction is, a doctor-patient interaction is the relationship between the doctor and the patient that is reliant on trust, cooperation, and honesty between the two of them. I am going to include another definition in someone else's words so that you can get a better grasp of what doctor-patient interaction is a relationship that is oriented towards the doctor helping the patient deal with a health issue. This writer also says that the physician has the dominant role because he or she is an expert and it is their job to help their patient to get back to normal. They say that the patient hold the position to negotiate, accept, and also reject the doctor's requests and recommendations, except in a medical emergency. In a medical emergency the doctor is trying to, potentially, save a life and they may disregard your negotiation or rejection (Cockerham 2012; pg.193). In another article that I read they talk about how it can be very uncomfortable between the patient and the doctor and it is the doctor's job to make the patient feel safe and comfortable and in order to do their job they need to be respectful, as does the patient, compassionate, to have patience, both sides need to be trustworthy, and they both need to be open and honest with each other for the patient to get well as quick as possible. (American Healthways 2003) The health care professional plays a big role in a patient's life and health care professionals often come into the patient's life at the worst and hardest time for the patient. Therefore the doctor needs to be able to be compassionate, honest, and caring to help this person get through their hard times and get them back to their normal self. There are three types of doctor-patient interactions that I am going to talk about, those include activity-passivity, guidance-cooperation, and mutual participation.

     
     The first type of doctor patient interaction that we talked about is known as activity-passivity and this is where the patient is at the doctor's office for an emergency, say the emergency room, and the patient doesn't really talk to the doctor or know what is going on. The doctor makes all the decisions because it is their job to make the patient healthy or in some cases keep them alive, the patient if in a harsh condition is not clued in before they get worked on, this doctor patient interaction is only for harsh illnesses and times when someone gets seriously injured.

     

     The second type that we talked about in class is known as guidance-cooperation and this is for times when the patient is sick or ill. In this type the patient knows what is going on and is kept on board. This is also where the doctor is telling the patient what they can do to make themselves healthy again and the patient understands and follows the doctors recommendations. In this situation the patient is cooperating and looking to the doctor for his decisions on the situation. Below I included a video as an example for
guidance-cooperation.

 

     

    

     In the third doctor-patient interaction, called mutual participation, the patient and the doctor decide how to change the lifestyle of the patient to make them healthy and help them to live longer. This doctor patient interaction is for those with chronic illnesses, just in case you don't know what a chronic illness is, a chronic illness is a disease that is long lasting or recurrent and it greatly impacts your life. (The only doctor-patient interactions that I have discussed are where the patient cooperates, but I'm sure there are cases where the patients don't cooperate.)

 

     The interactions between a doctor and a patient are important for many reasons, (some of which I included earlier in my blog) some reasons are that the patient probably feels uncomfortable and in order for them to listen and be close to the doctor the doctor first has to make the patient feel some-what comfortable. It is also important because the healing of an individual depends greatly on the relationship they have with their doctor, if they don't trust their doctor then they aren't going to listen to them. If they don't feel comfortable with their doctor they aren't going to listen, and if they aren't going to be open then they are going to be shy and timid about being honest. If the doctor and patient don't respect each other then they aren't going to want to put up with each other and the health issue isn't going to get dealt with. A doctor has a great impact on a person's life during their times of sickness, as I said earlier, and doctor-patient interaction has a huge role on health care and a person's views on the medical world.

     

     Since I think it would be interesting to get you thinking about it, today I am going to leave you with this question, what doctor-patient interactions have you experienced and why do you think it was important to act that way? 

 

 

 

 

References:

     I. Defining the Patient-Physician Relationship for the 21st Century. (2003, November 2)

               American Healthways, 1-44.

     II. F, M. (2001). Understanding the Humanistic Interaction with Medical. The College of                Radiographers, 1-9.
     III. Cockerham, William C. 2012. Medical Sociology, 12th Ed. Boston: Prentice Hall.

Social Factors and Medical Imaging

One of the main reasons I chose nuclear medicine as my career is because of the patient interaction I have.  Unlike MRI or CT, I do not have to be outside of the room when the patient is being imaged.  Granted, it may not be the best idea to stand right beside the patient for the entire study because of the radiation they are emitting, but if the patient needs that support, we as technologists can stay there.  In addition, we have a significant amount of interaction with the patient even before the study begins—we take a patient history, explain the procedure, and perform the injection.  Because of our role in informing the patient about the procedure, we have a direct role with how the patient responds. 

However, various social factors also influence the patient’s response to the medical imaging procedure.  For instance, men are less likely to express their fear than women.  In the study conducted by Murphy, men who were completely terrified of the equipment and the entire process of the imaging procedure responded, “It was okay” (2001).  Because of the social expectation of masculinity, men are less inclined to share their apprehension because it may be interpreted as weakness. 

Another social factor that can influence response to a medical imaging procedure is social class.  Because people in the upper and middle classes experience more personalized care, they are more likely to get their questions answered, therefore reducing ignorance—or “fear of the unknown”—about the procedure and what to expect (Murphy 2001).

An additional factor that could change the way a patient responds to a medical imaging procedure is the amount of exposure to information about the procedure the patient has received.  A patient who has heard from their friends about a medical imaging procedure—whether their experience was positive or negative—will bring these preconceived ideas with them into the hospital.  In fact, these stories may be more significant to the patient than a pamphlet that the hospital provides about the procedure (Murphy 2001).  If the stories are accurate, then there is probably no harm done.  However, the stories are more likely to be misleading in some way, which may not be beneficial when the patient arrives to have the procedure done.  Additionally, there are common misperceptions in society about many imaging procedures.  For instance, in nuclear medicine, it is not unusual for patients to think that they will glow after being injected with a radioactive tracer.

It is clear that a variety of social factors can influence the response of patients who are receiving a medical imaging procedure.  In light of this, how should a technologist respond to these patients, each of whom have different levels of understanding of the procedure?  A good beginning is to individualize the exam to each patient (Glazer 2011).  Be willing to answer any questions they might have, and provide a thorough explanation of what the study entails.  What are some other ways that we as medical imaging technologists can accommodate for each patient to make them as comfortable—physically and emotionally—as possible during the procedure?  How does an understanding of the social factors in the patient’s life allow us to accomplish this in a better way?

References:

Glazer, G., and Ruiz-Wibbelsmann, J. (2011). “The Invisible Radiologist.” Radiology 258(1): 18-22.

Murphy, F. (2001). “Understanding the humanistic interaction with medical imaging technology.” Radiology 7: 193-201.

Gender and smoking

Even a turkey can smoke...

 While I'm aware that most of you reading this probably have no idea what the title of this paragraph is referring to, I decided I needed to go with it anyway. You see, I have been smoking cigarettes for nearly 13 years, despite the fact that I am very aware of the health risks that can come from partaking in this nasty and addictive habit. Anyway, in regards to the heading above this paragraph; it's funny to me because it's a line of text that I have seen numerous times in my uncle's garage, and it is pasted above a ridiculous photo of a thanksgiving turkey with sunglasses on it's breast region and a cigarette sticking out of it's anal region. While this isn't entirely related to my post, it does in my opinion provide a bit of insight into the mind of the non-smoker. If you don't smoke and never have, you have no idea what it is like to try and quit this addictive habit, and in turn you probably have no idea why people who smoke simply refuse to quit. I mean, it's bad for you, right? Just quit you dirty smokers! Unfortunately, most of the time it just isn't that easy.

Smokers come in all shapes, sizes, and genders

Smokers(particularly those living in the United States) are a highly varied demographic in terms of race, age, and gender, but historically the majority of smoking related health issues have been seen in men. Unfortunately, in the past 50 years or so this has changed dramatically. While smoking as a whole is steadily declining in this country, the percentage of females who are dying from smoking-related health issues has increased exponentially from what was seen 50 or 60 years ago. In fact, almost 500,000 Americans die from smoking-related diseases annually, and almost half of these people are women. This may not seem all that shocking, but the reality of the matter is that prevalence of lung cancer deaths in women has increased by almost 800% in this same timespan.

According to our in-class text, the proportional increase of female smoking is largely a result of the empowerment women experienced when World War II came around and women began seeking employment outside of the home. To me this idea of "empowerment" leading to an increase in smoking seems a bit odd, but then again what do I know? Either way, the fact remains that the percentage of female smokers in the United States has risen dramatically, and today lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths among women in this country; accounting for a staggering 1/4 of cancer-related deaths seen in American females. In addition, COPD, which is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (number 4 to be exact), is now becoming more common in women than men in this country, which is also quite striking as historically COPD has been known to be a disease mostly seen in elderly men.

Thankfully, it isn't all bad news in terms of smoking in the United States. Overall, smoking is in a steady decline in this country for both men and women. While women are catching up and sometimes even eclipsing men in terms of smoking-related disease and mortality in this country, the total number of smokers has decreased by almost 30% overall in the half-century or so. Needless to say, this is really great news. As a longtime smoker myself, it is really great to see this sort of trend developing, as it is really disturbing to think that almost half a million people per year are dying each year as a result of this type of damaging health behavior. The only thing left for me to do now is jump on the bandwagon and quit this nasty habit of mine. It's certainly going to be tough, but the last thing I want to become is a statistic.

In closing, my question for you all is this: Why do you think that the number of smokers in this country has been steadily declining in recent years?  Does it have to do with increased knowledge of the risks involved?

Sources: Cockerham, W. (2010) Medical sociology 11th Edition

Illness Vs. Disease

“Sociologists have typically viewed sickness as a form of deviant behavior… [creating the concept of] the sick role, which describes the normative behavior a person typically adopts when feeling sick” (Cockerham, 2012; 167). In the sick role, there are 3 different components; illness, disease, and sickness. Illness is “a subjective state, pertaining to an individual’s psychological awareness of having a disease” (Cockerham, 2012; 167). “Diseases are abnormalities in the function and/or structure of body organs and systems” (Eisenberg, 1977). “Sickness is a social state, signifying an impaired social role for those who are ill” (Cockerham, 2012; 167).

In the video below are students defining their belief to what the difference between illness and diseases are.



If a person is ill, they are not feeling well and usually describe their illness as a disease. For example, when someone has a sinus infection, they are most likely going to tell you they have a sinus infection, which is a disease, rather than tell you they have nasal drainage and are clogged which is the illness and symptoms (Cassell, 1976).

Similarly, when a person has a runny nose, coughing, and/or mucosal build up which is all the illness, they have the disease of the flu. As more time goes, the flu mutates and changes and different diseases are created and different ways to relieve the symptoms are created. Although diseases are different, they can have similar if not the same type of illness and symptoms. Depending on the culture and society a person lives in will depend on the type of disease they are classified and they way it is treated.

It is important recognize that disease is defined on the way we act, “on which the functions of both physicians and patient, and their manifest interactions, are based” (Cassell, 1976). It is not the same in every culture (Cassell, 1976). In some cultures, the diseases may seem untreatable while in other cultures the disease is easily curable. They way cultures treat diseases differentiate between each culture and the type of treatment used; some cultures use home remedy while other cultures will go straight to the doctor for prescription.

In today’s society, are more diseases mutating and the illnesses changing?

Cassell, Eric J. 1976 "Illness and disease." Hasting center reports 6(2):27-37. Retrieved from on May 9, 2013
Cockerham, William C . 2012. Medical sociololgy. Upper saddle river, nj, Pearson education inc.
Eisenberg, Leon . 1977 "Disease and illness distinctions between professional and popular ideas of sickness." Culture, medicine and psychiatry 1(1):9-23. Retrieved from Google scholar on May 9, 2013