Talking to patients with arthritis.
Two hundred and fourteen patients attending an arthritis clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire in which their knowledge of medical terms, surface anatomy and rheumatic disease was evaluated. The responses were compared with those from a group of physiotherapists. An average of 50% correct responses was obtained for the whole group, and the educational status of the patients was shown to influence the results. The problem of communication in medicine and its relationship with adherence to therapeutic regimens is briefly discussed.
Adolescent↗