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| Basic anatomy 'baffles Britons' | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Many people in the UK are unable to identify the location of their major organs, a study suggests. | Many people in the UK are unable to identify the location of their major organs, a study suggests. |
| A team at King's College London found public understanding of basic anatomy has not improved since a similar survey was conducted 40 years ago. | A team at King's College London found public understanding of basic anatomy has not improved since a similar survey was conducted 40 years ago. |
| Less than 50% of the more than 700 people surveyed could correctly place the heart, BMC Family Practice says. | |
| Under one-third could place the lungs in their correct location, but more than 85% got the intestines right. | |
| There are concerns that a poor grasp of anatomy could potentially compromise patient care. | There are concerns that a poor grasp of anatomy could potentially compromise patient care. |
| The researchers asked more than 700 people to look at outlines of both a male and female body and identify which of several shaded areas was a particular organ. | The researchers asked more than 700 people to look at outlines of both a male and female body and identify which of several shaded areas was a particular organ. |
| Those asked included apparently healthy members of the public and then people undergoing treatment for a problem that affected specific organs. | Those asked included apparently healthy members of the public and then people undergoing treatment for a problem that affected specific organs. |
| Even those for whom the organ was particularly relevant often performed poorly - more than half of those with renal problems did not correctly identify the kidneys. | Even those for whom the organ was particularly relevant often performed poorly - more than half of those with renal problems did not correctly identify the kidneys. |
| Fewer than 30% of the general population were able to do so. | Fewer than 30% of the general population were able to do so. |
| But liver patients did better, with 75.3% identifying the organ compared with 46% of the general population. | But liver patients did better, with 75.3% identifying the organ compared with 46% of the general population. |
| The researchers said they had aimed to update a similar piece of research carried out in 1970, in which just over half of all the questions were correctly answered. | The researchers said they had aimed to update a similar piece of research carried out in 1970, in which just over half of all the questions were correctly answered. |
| But with an average of 52.5% correctly answered, the results have barely changed. | But with an average of 52.5% correctly answered, the results have barely changed. |
| "We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health-related topics and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge," said lead researcher John Weinman. | "We thought that the improvements in education seen since then, coupled with an increased media focus on medical and health-related topics and growing access to the internet as a source of medical information, might have led to an increase in patients' anatomical knowledge," said lead researcher John Weinman. |
| "As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years." | "As it turns out, there has been no significant improvement in the intervening years." |
| There was little difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used. | There was little difference between men and women, although women did perform better when a female body image was used. |
| Unsurprisingly, the better educated identified more organs correctly. | Unsurprisingly, the better educated identified more organs correctly. |
| Communication concerns | Communication concerns |
| The researchers said their findings did raise concerns about doctor-patient communication and possibly therefore the quality of care. | The researchers said their findings did raise concerns about doctor-patient communication and possibly therefore the quality of care. |
| Don Redding, head of policy at the Picker Institute Europe, a patient research group, agreed. | Don Redding, head of policy at the Picker Institute Europe, a patient research group, agreed. |
| "There is a real problem with health literacy - people's ability to understand and process health information - which this study is indicative of. | "There is a real problem with health literacy - people's ability to understand and process health information - which this study is indicative of. |
| "It really does matter, particularly as we look ahead to an NHS where resources are ever tighter. | "It really does matter, particularly as we look ahead to an NHS where resources are ever tighter. |
| "If people are going to use the NHS in an effective way they need to be able to communicate and understand what is said to them - this way we avoid repeat referrals, unnecessary hospitalisations. | "If people are going to use the NHS in an effective way they need to be able to communicate and understand what is said to them - this way we avoid repeat referrals, unnecessary hospitalisations. |
| "Everyone involved has to think harder about how to engage people in their own health - it's the only way." | "Everyone involved has to think harder about how to engage people in their own health - it's the only way." |
| Ellen Mason, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Ideally the public would have a better knowledge of the location of their major body organs than this study suggests. | Ellen Mason, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "Ideally the public would have a better knowledge of the location of their major body organs than this study suggests. |
| "This would hopefully produce a more meaningful dialogue with their doctor when something goes wrong with one of these organs. | "This would hopefully produce a more meaningful dialogue with their doctor when something goes wrong with one of these organs. |
| "However, it is ultimately more important to know how to look after your heart than where it is in your body." | "However, it is ultimately more important to know how to look after your heart than where it is in your body." |
| Answers: Heart - C, Kidneys - D, Pancreas - B. | Answers: Heart - C, Kidneys - D, Pancreas - B. |