How You Might Be Misusing 32 Common Clinical Terms

While editing research writing, I often encounter troublesome words, terms, and expressions. Some of these terms are not necessarily wrong. But they are not precise because their meanings are ambiguous. This can lead to unclear writing and, as a result, unclear understanding.

As a writer, your number one goal is to make your reader’s job easy. You don’t want your reader to misinterpret your message. To avoid misinterpretation, you need to use accurate and precise words with unmistakable meanings.

In clinical research—and practice—I have noticed that certain medical terms are particularly troublesome. To communicate more clearly as a clinician and researcher, consider whether you are using the following terms correctly.

abnormal, normal; negative, positive

One mistake that writers make is to use these terms to describe a patient’s health status. However, these terms should only be used to describe specific observations, results, or findings.

Incorrect

The physical examination was normal.

The biopsy results were negative.

Correct

Findings from the physical examination were normal.

The biopsy results were negative for cancer cells.

adherence, compliance

Adherence refers to the extent to which a patient’s behavior coincides with medical or health advice. It is a nonjudgmental statement of fact. Compliance, however, implies judgement. It connotes deviance, control, and dominance.

Researchers and clinicians are careful to show objectiveness in their writing and practice. Use adherence to avoid the judgment that compliance implies.

acute, chronic

These terms refer to the duration of a symptom, condition, or disease. However, many writers incorrectly use them to describe severity, patients, parts of the body, treatments, or medications.

Incorrect:

chronic dialysis

chronic diagnosis

chronic opioid user

acute administration of the drug

Correct:

long-term dialysis

long-standing diagnosis of a chronic disease

immediate administration of the drug

chronic kidney disease

diagnose, evaluate, examine, identify

Many writers misuse these terms by applying them all to patients. Conditions, syndromes, and diseases are diagnosed, evaluated, and identified. Patients are examined or evaluated.

Incorrect

The patient was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Correct

The patient’s congestive heart failure was diagnosed.

dosage, dose

Dose refers to a quantity administered at one time or during a period. Dosage refers to a regimen, or regular administration of individual doses.

Example

The average dosage of the drug is 100 mg/day, which is typically administered in doses of 50 mg twice per day.

place on, put on; prescribed, given

Using the phrase “to put a patient on a drug” is jargon. Avoid using this phrasing. The correct way to describe these instances is to state that medications are prescribed, patients are given medications, and therapies are started, administered, maintained, or stopped.

Incorrect

The patient was put on metoprolol.

Correct

Metoprolol was prescribed for the patient.

The patient was given metoprolol.

A treatment regimen of metoprolol was started.

immunize, inoculate, vaccinate

These words are not interchangeable. Immunize means to induce or provide immunity by giving a vaccine, antibody, or toxoid. Inoculate means to introduce a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance. And vaccinate means the act of administering a vaccine.

Examples

To immunize a child against polio, the patient should be inoculated with the polio vaccine.

The patient was inoculated intranasally with influenza virus vaccine.

The infants were vaccinated with the yellow fever vaccine.

clinician, practitioner, doctor, physician, provider

These terms have slightly different meanings. When referring to a group of clinical professionals from different fields, you can use clinicians or practitioners. However, when referring to a particular type of clinician, use more descriptive terms, such as physician, nurse, or radiologist. Keep in mind that physician is used specifically for professionals with an MD or DO degree, while doctor is a more general term that also includes PhD, DDS, EdD, DVM, and PharmD degrees.

Some writers use provider instead of clinician or practitioner. This use is incorrect. Provider can mean a health care professional, but it can also mean a medical institution, organization, or third-party payer. When referring to a specific provider, such as a physician or hospital, use the specific name or title of that provider. When referring to several providers, define them at first mention, and then use provider to avoid repeating the lists of persons or institutions. 

management, treatment

Preferably, cases are managed, and patients are cared for or treated. However, some alternative constructions with management are acceptable when referring to a general treatment protocol or an intervention that includes observations over time. For example, “the management of patients with heart disease” is acceptable.

case, patient, participant, subject

A case refers to a particular instance of a disease. It is evaluated, documented, and reported. On the other hand, a patient is a particular person under medical care. They are examined, undergo testing, and treated. A participant (preferred to subject) is a person with a particular characteristic or behavior, or who is part of a research study. They are recruited, selected, sometimes subjected to experimental conditions, and observed.

Examples

A case of stroke was evaluated in the emergency department.

A 65-year-old patient with congestive heart failure was admitted the hospital.

The participant was recruited to enroll in the clinical study.

Be sure to make the distinction between person and patient. Patients refer to people under medical care, while persons refer to anyone, regardless of care.