Banner

Article

What's in a name? Plenty if it's a medical condition

Which is more serious: heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease? Though they are basically the same thing, the "medicalese" name distorts the perception of the condition as more serious, according to a recent study.

Which is more serious: heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease?

Though they are basically the same thing, the "medicalese" name distorts the perception of the condition as more serious, according to a study of college students published in December by PLoS ONE, a journal of the Public Library of Science.

Researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, gave 52 undergraduate students a list of "newly medicalized disorders," including impotence vs. erectile dysfunction disorder, seborrheic dermatitis vs. dandruff, and acrochorda vs. skin tags.

Students perceived established medical conditions, such as high blood pressure vs. hypertension, the same.

"These findings regarding the conceptualization of disease have implications for many areas, including medical communication with the public, advertising, and public policy," the researchers wrote.

Related Videos
The new standard for medical malpractice: A conversation with Daniel G. Aaron, M.D., J.D.
The new standard for medical malpractice: What to watch for
The new standard for medical malpractice: A step toward ending defensive medicine?
The new standard for medical malpractice: Can doctors be liable for doing what everyone else does?
The new standard for medical malpractice: What makes a clinical guideline legally defensible?
The new standard for medical malpractice: What it means for day-to-day practice
The new standard for medical malpractice: What changed?
The new standard for medical malpractice: Why the law just changed
ACP policy update 2025: A conversation with Brian E. Outland, PhD
ACP policy update 2025 interview