Analyzing the History and Evolution of

the Medical Language:

Savannah Lacoste

University of Southern Mississippi

Department of
Interdisciplinary Studies
 Background Information
Savannah Lacoste

Concentrations:
Pre-Medical Student Professional Healthcare
and English

Senior Graduating May

2017
Assignment to research
an interdisciplinary
Major: Interdisciplinary question that involves
both concentrations
Studies
Should There Be a
Universal Medical
Language?
 Introduction
In a world full of diversity,
all people share one very
important aspect that is
solely responsible for the
continued existence and
longevity of human life:
medicine.
Scientists and doctors
grow from reading the
work of other medical
professionals.
While medical experts
working together is a great
thing that can result in new
revelations in the world of
medicine, it becomes
difficult when the
languages in which these
studies are written are
foreign and do not
translate directly.
Medicine is universal, the
medical language is not.
 Review of Literature
To understand the medical
language, it is necessary to
know its origins
Greek physician Hippocrates
was the first to attribute illness
to physical causes and began
observing, treating, and
diagnosing in the first
distinguished medical practice
Hippocratic writings are the
earliest form of a written
source of medicine, dating
back from the fourth and fifth
centuries B.C.
In the beginning of the first
century A.D. Aulus Cornelius
Celsus latinized Greek
words by replacing the once
Greek endings with Latin
ones in his book of medical
knowledge and terms titled,
De Medicina.
Celsus translated Greek
anatomical terminology in
such a way that kept the vivid
imagery.
 Analyzing the Effects
The medical language created
by Celsus years ago was
created from languages that
are essentially dead now and
are of little use to modern day
doctors and scientists
New information and
advanced studies are
discovered daily in foreign
countries that are recorded in
languages other than English
causing a great loss of
information whenever these
medical journals are
translated
In medical schools and on
college campuses across the
map, students learn the
scientific terminology in
English, but lectures and
explanations of this
terminology are all given in
their native languages
In 2008, David Gray, a
patient from England, was
prescribed ten times the
suggested and safe dosage of
his medication which
unfortunately resulted in his
death.
 Literature on Solutions
Standardized Language
Examinations for Medical
Purposes team
This system would require
doctors and scientists
working in the medical field
to take an exam before they
begin communicating with
other colleagues and patients.
The National Library of
Medicines Unified Medical
Language System (UMLS)
Knowledge Source Server
This internet based tool
retrieves information
concerning medical
terminology including things
such as root, origin, history,
and meaning.
 Literature on Possible Effects
Lost in translation
The confusion of translating
between languages is not only
an issue in the medical world,
but in many other fields of
study.
Classification of biology
English designated universal
language of Science.
Sharing the same universal
language as the world of
science and biology
Medical professionals are now
aware that if they write their
medical journals in English, it
will attract the highest
volume of readers than it
would if written in any other
language
 Theoretical Solutions
Organization focused on International Medical
medical language Interpreters Association
internationally (IMIA). Provide easy access to
interpreters.

The purpose would be to

bridge the medical language
gap and gradually Undergraduate Medical
universalize medical Language Origin and History
terminology and their class
meanings

Language classes available for Preparing students who plan

international physicians, on entering the medical field
interpreters for training earlier on in their education.
physicians, and unify medical
terms and interpretations
 Statement of Methodology:
Qualitative Research
Focus Group: Doctor, Nurse Experiences where language
Practitioner, Nursing Student barriers caused confusion or
mistakes when treating a
patient, researching a case, or
communicating with another
Should there be a universal medical professional
medical language?

Understanding of their
awareness of the problem,
If so, what language should be opinion on possible solutions,
the universal medical and experience as a medical
language, and why? professional
 Statement of Methodology:
Quantitative Research
Questionnaire survey sent out Sixteen questions including:
through email and manually matrix rating scale style,
given out at various hospitals multiple choice, and check all
along the gulf coast of that apply
Mississippi and Alabama

Survey given to doctors,
nurses, nurse practitioners,
physicians assistants, or
anyone who works in the
medical field daily
Gather background
information on the
participant, as well as their
opinions on the language
barrier and the importance of
a unified language in
medicine
 Execution of Research Design:
Focus Group
Dr. Paetz "We all live in
America, where the main
language is English, the only
way we experience the effects
of a language barrier is
physician to patient
conversation."
English second language
physicians who have been in
the countries for years still
experience language barrier
due to heavy accents
N.P. Im not sure if a
universal medical language
would benefit unless it was
taught to the patients as well,
so if youre not able to teach
the laypeople, then you lose
your effectiveness
Changing the universal
medical language to English
would essentially mean
changing the universal
language to English, which is
a tall order
 Execution of Research Design:
Focus Group
The importance of knowing
the origin and history of the
medical language as a student
before entering professional
school
Dr. Paetz- There are
probably a lot of diseases I
dont know the exact origin of
where it came from, that
doesnt really matter as long
as I know how to recognize
and treat it.
Nursing Student- K.
Thornhill- The patient
outcome is the same whether
you know the root or not, but
I think that school has
advanced since then. They
want you to not only know
what it is and how to treat it,
but where the name
originated and why. Its not
necessary to patient care, but
extra knowledge they want
you to know.
 Execution of Research Design:
Focus Group
Should there be a universal
medical language, and if so
which language would be the
most logical choice
Physician- "The easiest
language to learn is Spanish,
but given the popularity of
English in everyday life and
journals, it would probably be
a better choice."
Nursing Student- K.
Thornhill- "There should be a
universal medical language
and it should be English, even
though it would be a serious
transition phase for those
who have been practicing for
a long time, who have to learn
something new."
Nurse Practitioner- "Asking
for a universal medical
language of English would be
more helpful to ask for
English as a universal
language. "
Execution of Research Design:
Survey Results
Execution of Research Design:
Survey Results
Execution of Research Design:
Survey Results
 Conclusion: Focus Group
Analyzing the data gained
from the qualitative and
quantitative aspects of the
field research conducted, each
brought new ideas and
perspectives to the idea of a
universal medical language.
The idea that requesting a
universal medical language is
in essence requesting a
universal language is
something not taken into
account before
The only true medical
language barrier American
medical professionals
experience is through patient
conversation and care.
Agreed that although a
universal medical language
would be useful, the most
plausible solution would be
an increase in translation
technology.
 Conclusion: Surveys
Professionals agree that
staying current on medical
research internationally is
important, and that medical
research is necessary in the
growth of the medical field,
but are not directly affected
by the language barrier.
The survey results show the
professionals surveyed believe
a universal medical language
is necessary, but then again
are split when it deciding
whether the medical language
is already universal.
Provide medical
professionals and training
physicians easy access to
medical interpreters. In fact,
75% of medical professionals
who have been in the medical
field for over twenty years felt
this was the best solution.
75% of students in the
medical field feel requiring
undergraduate students
entering the medical field to
take a prerequisite Medical
Language Origin and History
class is the most effective
solution
 Overall Conclusion
Creating an international
organization that not only
acknowledges the issue of the
medical language barrier, but
makes efforts to put solutions
in place to close that gap is
the best option.
Working toward making
English the universal medical
language would in turn be
working to make English the
universal language as a whole.
I have concluded there is no
immediate need for a
universal medical language
Instead of having the
perspective of everyone
needing to be on the same
page by speaking the same
language in order to progress,
my perspective is using the
diversity and challenge of
multiple languages as a way
to create, invent, and progress
without sacrificing culture
and history.
 Future Implications
As an interdisciplinary
thinker, I began this research
project failing to look at
multiple perspectives.
Instead of thinking of the
language as a barrier, this can
be used as an opportunity for
more growth.
Why force everyone to speak
one language when what is so
phenomenal about the history
of medicine is that it is always
changing and advancing, just
as its language is.
Embracing the language
barrier as a challenge to
improve is the most effective
way to eliminate its negative
effects, for not only English
speaking professionals, but
medical professionals
worldwide.
Analyzing the History and Evolution of
the Medical Language:

Savannah Lacoste

University of Southern Mississippi

Department of
Interdisciplinary Studies