AXA PPP healthcare has introduced an online glossary to help patients better understand common medical terms
The insurer said that good doctor-patient relations depend on good communication. While most patients (62%) say that they understand what their GPs are telling them, nearly a third (31%) find otherwise, leaving most of this group (73%) feeling confused, anxious or uneasy.
AXA PPP polled 2000 patients who had seen their GP in the last 12 months - finding just 4 in 10 patients know the correct meaning of CT scan.
While 43% correctly identified CT as the abbreviation for computerised tomography, nearly a third (32%) thought it meant cranial thermal scan and 11 per cent said it meant computerised torso scan.
Meanwhile 6 out of 10 knew the correct meaning for hypertension, 7 in 10 knew the correct meaning for MRI scan and 8 in 10 knew the correct meaning for benign.
Older patients consistently outperformed their younger counterparts in correctly identifying these medical terms, which may be attributable to their having had more opportunities to hear of and/or experience them.
The insurer also said while most patients (74%) did ask their GPs to explain what they meant when they hadn't understood something, nearly a quarter did not: 11% said nothing because of embarrassment, with 10% doing likewise because they didn't want to waste their doctor's time. However, 3% gave up altogether and went to see another doctor.
AXA PPP's chief medical officer Dr Gary Bolger noted: "While generally speaking, most people seemed to know the meaning of these medical terms, a surprisingly large proportion did not. Good communication is a two-way process so it is important for GPs to remember that a sizeable minority of their patients may not have sufficient knowledge or understanding to take in what they're saying."
"While some patients can find it intimidating to question their GP when they don't understand what they've said, patients should remember that their doctor is there to help them and they shouldn't be afraid or embarrassed to ask their doctor to explain what they mean."
