CAT scan with cats? Kids misunderstand medical jargon

[{"selector":"#anim-b4ffd2d7-7b42-4bec-9a5e-e19585aa306e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.01)","scale(0.999)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Medicine is famous for its jargon, and adults regularly have trouble interpreting it. That goes double for kids, according to a study in Pediatrics .

The researchers found that children frequently misunderstand medical and hospital terms, with misconceptions ranging from cute to concerning.

They found that children had clear understandings of some phrases, like negative test results for COVID-19, but made incorrect assumptions about other phrases.

Some of the misunderstandings were literal – for instance, children could assume that a CAT scan involved cats.

But others could be sinister. Some children thought that being “put to sleep” for surgery was the same process as their pet being put to sleep, meaning they would never wake up.

“This is why it is so important for clinicians to use clear language – even for seemingly simple terms – to reduce fear and improve the child’s medical experience," says co-author Professor Michael Pitt, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Minnesota, USA.

cosmosmagazine.com

[{"selector":"#anim-43690473-8161-489d-8f33-59801521157c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84e3b9b7-59c5-4922-ba4b-87bab5aeef07","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 1910.74043%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7c23217-1396-4bcd-90ac-55a927551aae","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f2eca1e7-2b27-4926-9f81-908dd8842def","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.78316%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

CAT scan with cats? Kids misunderstand medical jargon

The researchers found that children frequently misunderstand medical and hospital terms, with misconceptions ranging from cute to concerning.

Some of the misunderstandings were literal – for instance, children could assume that a CAT scan involved cats.

“This is why it is so important for clinicians to use clear language – even for seemingly simple terms – to reduce fear and improve the child’s medical experience," says co-author Professor Michael Pitt, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Minnesota, USA.

cosmosmagazine.com

THE INFORMATION YOU NEED

Body and mind

Discover nature

Explore our planet