what does it mean? deciphering content on the NHS app and the importance of communicating clearly in healthcare
"Clinically significant"
"Fast track referral for suspected XXX cancer"
"World Health Organization Performance Status Grade 0"
These are just some of the things that have come up on the NHS App Patient Records that I've been asked about in the last few weeks. (Full disclaimer, I'm not a doctor or licensed healthcare professional, but I've been working in the health content space for over a decade now, so I've got some useful knowledge that make me "Dr Dee" for friends and family).
Don't get me wrong, the NHS app is a great way to help people stay up to date with their care. But it's only helpful if the information is put across in a clear, accessible and non-scary way - and I'll think you agree that none of the above really are.
Clinically significant could mean anything - from super-scary to nothing for you as a person to really worry about, but enough to require medical intervention.
Fast track referral for suspected cancer - well, if that's not enough to put the fear of god into you, then I don't know what is. What this doesn't say is that it's been fast tracked because it flagged one, teeny tiny marker for a specific cancer. There are quite a few markers. What's even worse is that this came up in the specific person's NHS app BEFORE their telephone consultation with their GP to tell them about the referral.
And as for World Health Organization Performance Status Grade 0 - it means nothing unless you know what the WHO Performance Status is and what it's used for.
The trouble with all of these updates is that they don't give you enough information to work with, and you know what means don't you - anyone who doesn't know better will be going straight to Dr Google to try and find out more information. And if the last decade has taught me anything it's DO NOT GOOGLE HEALTH SHIT! You'll have diagnosed yourself with 10 different life-threatening conditions before you've read the first page of results. Guaranteed.
Why am I telling you this? To draw attention to the fact that 43% of adults in the UK don't understand health information. This means that if you work for a healthcare company, you have a duty to try and ensure that the way you communicate with your customers is as clear as possible. That you explain things honestly, but with clarity and compassion so that they don't panic about what they read, or turn to ambiguous sources for more information. So that they can feel reassured, and make calm, informed decisions about their health and their care.
Please.