medicalese

Hospital staff lingo

Medicalese is the jargon-laden language of medicine and healthcare—the technical terminology, abbreviations, and clinical phrasing that doctors use among themselves but that often mystifies patients.

The discharge summary was written in dense medicalese.

The term carries a mildly critical edge, implying that clearer communication would be preferable.

jargon

terminology

Subject-specific vocabulary

acronymsWords made from initials
abbreviationsTruncated word forms
lingoGroup-specific vocabulary

gobbledygook · techspeak · nomenclature · lexicon · vernacular · parlance · cant · argot · buzzwords · shorthand

communication

informed consent

Permission given with understanding

health literacyUnderstanding medical information and systems
plain languageEasily understood communication
translationConverting between languages

interpretation · discharge instructions · consent forms · progress notes · referral letters · lab reports · patient education · miscommunication

critique

obfuscation

Deliberate concealment through confusion

intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
paternalismControlling others for their good
gatekeepingControlling access to something

elitism · exclusion · mystification · power imbalance · inaccessibility · opacity · dehumanization · distancing · euphemism · hedging

medicalese

terminology

informed consent

obfuscation

medicalese

Opposites

Categories

Family