Medical Analogies for Clinician-Patient Communication: Innovative Strategies for Improving the Clinical Encounter

Description

Patient-healthcare worker communication is the cornerstone of an informed and patient-centered approach to healthcare. It is continually stressed throughout all aspects of medical training and practice, but this can be impaired by the myriad of medical jargon and complex pathophysiology required in explaining a patient’s condition. This book aims to provide a comprehensive reference of analogies which simplify and make the most common medical conditions that patients may question about or be afflicted with comprehensible. There is need for an efficient way to translate years of study and experiential learning from the doctor and healthcare professional to the patient. The book contains over 200 analogies that span across 19 chapters covering a wide variety of medicine specialties, including but not limited to cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and more. Each chapter follows a consistent format: a condition is given, the analogy title for the condition is given, and then the analogy is explained in the body text. The authors took some of the most common encountered medical conditions and attributed them to digestible analogies that help bridge the gap between healthcare professional to patient.  Medical Analogies for Clinician-Patient Communication: Innovative Strategies for Improving the Clinical Encounter serves as a fruitful reference for anyone wanting to communicate profoundly with their patients without forfeiting brevity.  Foreword References Preface Acknowledgement Contents Contributors 1: Cardiology Angina Car Running Out of Fuel Aneurysm Water Balloon Aortic Dissection Earthquake Arrhythmias Orchestra Conductor Air Traffic Controller and Hackers Atherosclerosis Volcano Cardiac Arrest Power Outage Cardiomyopathy Bicycle with Motorcycle Wheels Congestive Heart failure – Pathophysiology Faulty Balloon Pump Congestive Heart Failure – Treatment Horse Pulling Sandbags Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolus (PE) Blocked River Rotten Milk Hyperlipidaemia Bakery Hypertension Water Network Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) Clogged Pipes Lymphoedema Blocked Roof Gutter Drains Pericardial Tamponade Suffocated Heart Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) Jammed Windows in the House Valvular Heart Disease Rusty Door Varicose Veins – Pathology Interstate Highway Varicose Veins – Treatment River 2: Dermatology Acne Infected Caves Within a Mountain Face Actinic Keratosis Cracked Car Paint Collagen Foundation of a House Collagen and Elastin Scaffolding and Springs Cyst Water Balloon Herpes Warts Spy Seed in Hibernation Post-menopausal Hair Loss Water-Scarce Garden Seborrheic Keratosis Mud Stuck on Car Skin Rubber Band Skin Cancer Iceberg Weed Skin Care Working Out Symptomatic Treatment Cooling Down an Overheated Car Giving a Hungry Baby a Dummy Tinea Pedis (Athlete’s Foot) Moss Growing on Trees Vitiligo Bleached Tee-Shirt Wound Care Growing Plant 3: Ear, Nose and Throat Cholesteatoma Blocked Drain Earwax Removal Conveyor Belt Otitis Media Drum Full of Water Sinus Surgery Caves Tonsillitis Soldiers Overcrowding a Base 4: Endocrinology Cushing’s Syndrome – Thinning of Body Parts Termites in a Wooden House Bad Cement in the City Steroid Weaning and Cessation Sudden Stop While Driving Dictator Diabetes Sugar Factory Diabetes – Role of Insulin Key to Open Building Diabetes – HbA1c Donuts Diabetes – Complications Rodents Endocrine System Spiderweb Hormones Car key Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism Orchestra Conductor Steam Train Hypothyroidism Spark Plug Metabolic Syndrome Gang of Criminals Osteoblast and Osteoclast Function Tetris Osteoporosis Termites Paraneoplastic Syndromes Special Remote Pituitary Tumour Specialised Factory Pituitary and Thyroid Gland Interaction Thermostat and Air-Conditioner Total thyroidectomy and Thyroxine Replacement Shutting Down the Factory Thyroid: Radioactive Iodine Therapy Trojan Horse 5: Gastroenterology Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis Old Donkey Coeliac Disease Smoking Cigarettes Gastroenteritis Security Measures – Emergency Escape Button and Sweating Out Bugs Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD) – Symptomatic Management Paracetamol for Headache Hepatitis Dormancy Underground Coup Hepatitis – Phases Park Ranger Trying to Capture a Wild Bear Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Rugged Road Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Pathophysiology Toothpaste Tube Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Management Leg Cramps Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – Normal Investigation Results Headache Jaundice Toilet and Water Inside the Bowl Liver Disease – Alcoholic Sponge Liver Failure Massive Factory Opportunistic Infections Troublesome Teenagers Causing Major Problems Peptic Ulcer Disease Tug of War Stool Consistency – Normal Population Variation Variations in Bananas 6: General Practice Antibiotics for Viral Infections Cockroach Spray Versus Cockroach Spray Discharge Planning (for Non-surgical Cases) Postoperative Hospital Stay Education and Awareness Flashlight in the Dark Inconsistent Medication Use Unwatered Plant Boiling Water Latent Viruses Seeds Long-Term Medications Eyeglasses Management of Healthcare Workers Surgeon Self-Operating Medications When Asymptomatic Locking the Door Non-compliance Not Servicing Your Car Not Completing the Full Course of Antibiotics Special Weapon Firefighters Not Seeing Improvement Uphill Journey Boiling Water Patient-Centred Care Coach and Star-Player Preventative Care – Reducing Severity Seatbelt Slow-Acting Medications Fruit Growth Unnecessary Imaging Coffee and Sugar 7: General Surgery Achalasia Stuck Gate on the Road Appendicitis Janitor Closet at an Airport Biliary Colic Tomato Sauce Bottle Bowel Cancer Screening Car Warning Lights Bowel Infarction Heart Attack for the Bowel Cholecystectomy – Fat Metabolism Washing Oily Dishes Without Soap Colorectal Cancer Journey on a Long Road Constipation – Cancerous Blocked Traffic Constipation – Drug-Induced Roadworks Constipation – Slow Transit Traffic Jam Diverticular Disease Potholes Fibre and Bulk Laxatives Sponge Fissure Paper Cut Fistula Unwanted Connection Between Two Separate Train Tunnels Haemorrhoids Varicose Veins Hernia Inner Tube of Tyre Mallory–Weiss Tear Oesophagus is a Rubber Band Pancreatic Cancer Old Donkey Pancreatitis Factory on the Road Peritonitis Electric Fence Post-Operative Ileus Scared Turtle 8: Haematology Anaemia Trucks Bleeding Disorders Dam Clotting Cascade Dominos Coagulopathy Beavers Making a Dam Leaking Boat Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) Rotten Milk Iron, B12, Folate Deficiency Delivery Van Leukaemia The Flower Garden Lymphadenopathy Fire Station Lymphoma Malfunctioning Military Training Camps School 9: Infectious Diseases HIV and AIDS Fleas on a Farm Vaccinations and Autism Bridge Flat Tire and Gas Vaccinations – Mechanism of Action Wanted Poster Social Distancing Matches Dominos Isolation Period Tall and Short Candles Herd Immunity Umbrellas Hospital-Acquired Infection Car Wash Tuberculosis (TB) Termite Infestation Necrotising Fasciitis Forest Fire Killing of Gut Microbiota Police at a Brawl Fever of Unknown Origin Staring at the Trees, Forgetting the Forest Finding the Source of the Fire 10: Musculoskeletal System Bursa Fluid-Filled Pillow Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cramped Passengers on Train Chronic Osteomyelitis Archers Attacking a Fortress Fracture Tree Branches Gout Crystallised Sugar in Tea Inflammation and Anti-Inflammatories Massive Storm Non-visualising Fracture Paper Cut Osteoarthritis Smooth and Jagged Pebbles Osteoporosis Termites in a House Paget’s Disease of the Bone Dysfunctional Ant Mound Spinal Cord Injury Highway Sprained Ligament Tear in a Paper Tendon Rupture Intertwined Cable Torn Meniscus Hangnail 11: Nephrology BPH Straw Through Doughnut BPH Treatment: TURP Scrape Off Doughnut Rebore a Metal Cylinder Burning Sensation Post-TURP Soap on Grazed Skin Symptomatic Treatment Before Removing Kidney Stone Car Crash Kidney Water Treatment Plant Kidney Failure Broken Pool Filter Kidney Dialysis and Transplant Replacing Pool Filter Kidney Function and Dysfunction Savings Account in Bank Kidney Stones Choking on Food Pebble Stuck in Hose Prostate Cancer Sloth Prostate Cancer Screening Turtle, Rabbit and Leopard Prostate Cancer Monitoring Post-Diagnosis Weight Loss Raised Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) False Fire Alarm Stress Incontinence Spilling Glass of Water Urethral Stricture Blocked Pipe Urinary Tract Infection Road to a Castle 12: Neurology Blood-Brain Barrier Moat Around Castle Mass Effect in Brain Office Departments Coma, Permanent Vegetative State, and Brain Death Sleep Mode Dementia Filing Cabinet Epilepsy Whale Meningitis Bubble Wrap Multiple Sclerosis Frayed Electrical Wire Parkinson’s Disease Failing Lightbulb Peripheral Neuropathy Walkie-Talkies Sciatica TV Antenna Seizure Lightning Striking a Building Seizure Timing Ship at Sea Stroke Heart Attack Stroke Household Appliances Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury Earthquake Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) Circuit Trip During a Storm Tension Headache Paracetamol for a Tension Headache 13: Ophthalmology Astigmatism Sports Ball Curvatures Blepharitis Sand Cataract Glasses Inside the Eye Egg Yolk Cataract Surgery Candy in a Wrapper Conjunctivitis Onion Layers Corneal Pathology Car Windshield Corneal Ulcer A Meteor Hitting the Earth Diabetic Retinopathy Botanical Gardens Diabetic Retinopathy – Neovascularisation Botanical Gardens and Roots Dry Eye Skin Moisturising Glaucoma Bathtub Macular Degeneration A Clock That Doesn’t Tell the Time Optic Neuritis Electric Wire Reusing a Daily Contact Lens Reusing a Dirty Glove Strabismus Wheel Misalignment 14: Paediatrics Allergies Superman and Kryptonite Cardiac Septal Defects Broken Pool Filter Hirschsprung’s Disease Seaweed Crashing on a Beach Intestinal Atresia Balloon Intussusception Gloves Rolling Back onto Fingers Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis Guard Dog and Thief Jaundice in a Newborn Water Filling a Bathtub Pyloric Stenosis Rope Around the Stomach Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Vehicles Without Petrol Stations 15: Peri- and Post-Operative Care Adhesions Superglue Electrolyte Imbalances Bathtub Pressure Ulcers Apples Sepsis Bushfire Shock Water Pump and Pipes 16: Psychiatry Addiction No Brakes Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Computer Tabs Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Untuned Radio Hamster Wheel ADHD Management Race Car Anxiety Plane with Turbulence Falling from the Sky Bipolar Disease Tigger and Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh) Weather Bipolar Disease Management Weather Distorted Perception Black Glasses Exploring Past History Finding the Roots Generalised Anxiety Disorder Piglet (from Winnie the Pooh) Magnified Pain Mind as a Speaker System Mania Rollercoaster Messy Filing Cabinet Normal Investigation Results Wires and Electric Current Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Broken Smoke Detector Classroom Panic Attack Drowning Same Diagnosis, Different Management People Therapy Riding a Bike Unintentional Behaviour Intentional Versus Accidental Kick 17: Respiratory Airflow Obstruction Cars on Highway Anaphylaxis Superman and Kryptonite Antibiotics for a Viral Infection Broken-Down Car Asthma – Pathophysiology Hose Sandcastle on the Beach Asthma – Treatment Car Crash Guard Dogs and Fence Atelectasis Car Tyre Bronchiectasis Clothes Stretching Over Time Bronchitis versus Pneumonia Respiratory Tree Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – Pathophysiology Balloons Versus Paper Bags Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Breathing Through a Straw Chewing Food Brushing a Horse Hole in a Boat Emphysema Pens in a Farm Broken Wired Fence Heart Failure and Pulmonary Oedema Overfilling a Glass of Water Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) Plastic versus Paper Straw Peak Flow Meter Car Speedometer Pleural Effusion Bear Hug Pneumothorax Simple Pneumothorax – Fence Gate Tension Pneumothorax – Fence Gate Pulmonary Hypertension and Cor Pulmonale Bodybuilder and Heavy Weights Respiratory Tree and Smoking Trees, Branches and Leaves Tuberculosis (TB) Spies 18: Rheumatology Autoimmune Disease Double Agents and Guard Dogs Fire Sprinkler System Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) Unsafe Car Factory Gout Sugar in Tea Excess Banana Peels Paget’s Disease of Bone Hyperactive Dog Digging Holes in Your Backyard Rheumatoid Arthritis Baby Gums Car Tyres Sjogren’s Syndrome Closed Taps Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Puppy in a House 19: Women’s Health Antenatal Testing – Chorionic Villus Sampling Versus Amniocentesis Egg in Water Anti-D Antibody Identification Markers Breast Examination Bowl of Oatmeal Cervical Dysplasia Journey on a Long Road Cervical Dysplasia – Understanding Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Car on the Journey HPV Subtypes – Different Types of Cars Fibroids in Pregnancy Stone in the Soil Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Sugar Factory Menopause Factory Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Factories Prolapse Pelvic Floor as a Bag Boat on the Dock Stress Incontinence Balloon Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome An All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Urge Incontinence A Short-Tempered Friend Index