An online randomised experiment found that the labels lumbar sprain, non-specific low back pain (LBP), and episode of back pain reduced perceived need for imaging, surgery and second opinions compared to disc bulge, degeneration, and arthritis among 1447 participants with and without LBP. They also reduced perceived seriousness of LBP and increased recovery expectations.
Worldwide there has been an increase in the use of diagnostic labels for both physical and psychological diagnoses. Diagnoses reflects the process of classifying an individual who presents with certain signs and symptoms as having, or not having, a particular disease. The diagnostic process can [...]
Disease labels and causal explanations for certain symptoms or conditions have been found to have both positive and negative outcomes. For example, a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome could conceivably motivate a person to engage in weight management, which is the recommended first line treatment. Furthermore, doctors [...]
The majority of small papillary thyroid cancers (sPTCs) are treated surgically, rather than by active surveillance. Patient and clinician preference for surgery may be partially driven by the use of cancer terminology. Some experts propose that changing terminology would better communicate the indolent nature of [...]
When health conditions are labelled it is often to classify and communicate a set of symptoms. While diagnostic labelling can provide explanation for an individual’s symptoms, it can also impact how individuals and others view those symptoms. Despite existing research regarding the effects of labelling [...]
We examined the effect of ‘labels’ versus ‘descriptions’ across four asymptomatic health conditions: pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, mild hyperlipidaemia, and chronic kidney disease stage 3A, on participants’ intentions to pursue further tests. There were four secondary objectives: 1) assessing confidence and satisfaction in their intention to test [...]
The use of more medicalised labels can increase both concern about illness and the desire for more invasive treatment. This study analyses the media’s coverage of an Analysis article in The BMJ which generated a large amount of high-profile international media coverage. It aims to understand how [...]
Clinicians tend to think of diseases as being immutable, existing in nature like elements of the periodic table or the planets. The medical literature reinforces this myth, implying that changes are a result of increasing scientific knowledge moving medicine toward better and more accurate descriptions [...]
Do diet, physical activity and contraceptive use change after receiving a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? Using longitudinal data 12 months apart, young women newly diagnosed with PCOS were more likely to stop using contraception but did not change their physical activity or vegetable intake.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-aged women, with prevalence estimates ranging from 4 to 22.5% depending on the population studied and diagnostic criteria used. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore clinicians’ experiences and views about the challenges and [...]