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Confusing healthcare terms explained: How to speak … ‘Doctor’

Confused by medical jargon? You're not alone. The New Daily's guide is here to help.

Confused by medical jargon? You're not alone. The New Daily's guide is here to help. Photo: Getty

Ever felt like you’ve walked out of your doctor’s office with more questions than when you went in?

Am I required to take one pill twice a day, or two pills once a day?
Why did the GP say tumour, if it’s not cancer?  

A visit to the GP should be your first stop if you feel unwell or have health concerns. And asking your doctor to repeat health advice, and jotting down hard-to-remember medical terms, can be useful strategies.

But, sometimes a trip to the doctor is nothing more than a fuzzy sequence of events that kicks off with a stranger sneezing on you in the waiting room and ends with a confusing chat with the receptionist about unexpected fees.

To help decode some of the tricky language in healthcare, The New Daily has put together a handy glossary of the most commonly used terms.

Acute versus chronic conditions

Acute illness or injury comes on suddenly and is usually for a short or specific period of time. Chronic conditions, on the other hand, are ongoing or persistent. Asthma, heart disease and diabetes are common examples of chronic diseases.

Adverse event or side effect

An adverse event is any unintended effect of a medicine, vaccine, procedure or medical device, which may include side effects or injury. This also applies to vitamin supplements and over-the-counter medicines such as painkillers or cough medicines.

Anyone who experiences an adverse effect can report the event to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). To report adverse events of procedures talk to the treating doctor or your GP.

Allied health professional 

A qualified health professional (not medicine, nursing or dentistry) such as physiotherapists, psychologists, optometrists, social workers and dietitians.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are a type of drug used to treat or prevent bacterial infections such as strep throat, skin infections, pneumonia or whooping cough. They are only effective on bacterial, not viral infections, so cannot treat the cold or flu.

Benign versus malignant tumour

A tumour is any abnormal lump or mass in the body, and there are two main types: benign and malignant. If the tumour is benign, it’s considered non-cancerous and doesn’t spread. A malignant tumour is cancer and can grow and spread throughout the body.

Benign tumours can still be harmful if they are pushing on vital organs such as the brain, or if they become pre-cancerous later on.

Biennial exam or screening

While biannual means twice a year, biennial refers to every second year. BreastScreen Australia and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program are both biennial health checks for certain population groups.

Elective versus emergency surgery

Elective surgery is booked in advance and is often necessary but can be delayed – for example, a hip replacement. For elective surgery in public hospitals (or for public patients in private hospitals), patients will go on a waiting list that is categorised by urgency.

By comparison, emergency surgery must be done without delay to save a person’s life or preserve a body part.

Good versus bad cholesterol

There are two main types of proteins that carry cholesterol around the body.

HDL cholesterol, which stands for high density lipoprotein, is labelled the ‘good cholesterol’ because it contains less fats and more proteins to help cholesterol move through the body.

LDL cholesterol, or low density lipoprotein, is the ‘bad cholesterol’. It has more fat and is more likely to build-up and clog the arteries.

If you have trouble remembering, think ‘H’ for healthy or HDL.

Inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome?

Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is an umbrella term for two serious medical conditions, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both cause inflammation in the colon and rectum. Typical symptoms include severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss.

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a completely different disorder that causes digestive problems, but does not lead to inflammation or ulcers. Symptoms usually include bloating, gas or tummy upset. IBS is typically associated with food intolerances, though stress, infection or bacteria are possible triggers.

Medicare rebate

If your doctor doesn’t bulk-bill and you pay upfront for the cost of a GP visit or medical exam, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate. This is when you can claim some money back from Medicare once you have paid the fee.

Some people may be able to claim for more medical expenses under the Medicare safety net, or if you have private health insurance.

Outpatient versus inpatient

An outpatient receives treatment without being admitted to hospital, while an inpatient receives care during their hospital stay (day or overnight).

Outpatient services may include specialist consultations, GP visits, antenatal consultations with an obstetrician, X-rays, ultrasounds and treatment in the emergency ward (without formal hospital admission).

Inpatient services in hospital might include serious or urgent procedures, such as intensive care, surgery, some cancer treatments, and services such as in-hospital medicine care.

Subsidy or co-payment?

A medical subsidy is usually a government-paid benefit that covers the cost of a medicine or treatment. In Australia, the government subsidises most medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The remaining cost of a PBS medicine is covered by patients, and this is known as a co-payment. From 2018, you pay up to $39.50 for most PBS medicines and the government tops up the rest. The co-payment is reduced to $6.40 for concession card holders.

Triage

A triage scale is used by emergency departments to categorise the urgency of someone’s medical problem.

There are five categories on the Australasian Triage scale, ordered by urgency:

  1. Resuscitation: This is for immediately life-threatening conditions like heart attack or injuries from a car accident;
  2. Emergency: Possibly life-threatening, requiring attention. Examples include patients with chest pain or a suspected stroke;
  3. Urgent: Serious but stable conditions, such as abdominal pain;
  4. Semi-urgent: For example broken bones;
  5. Non-urgent: Typically illnesses such as a cough or cold.

The information in this article has been compiled with assistance from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). 

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