History of Medicine
What's the difference between a sign and a symptom?
sign = objective/observable
symptom = subjective/patient-reported
What's the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?
hypothesis = tentative/testable explanation
theory = well-tested, broadly accepted explanation
What is informed consent?
voluntary agreement to participate after being fully told the risks, benefits, and purpose
Name two different categories of health science careers.
e.g., clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, health informatics/biotech
Give an example of a nonverbal communication cue.
eye contact, posture, facial expression, tone of voice, personal space
What invention/practice caused Semmelweis's infection rates to drop dramatically?
mandatory handwashing between autopsies and deliveries
What's the difference between a theory and a law?
a law describes what happens (a consistent pattern)
a theory explains why it happens
What year did the Tuskegee Study end, and how was it exposed?
1972
a whistleblower (Peter Buxtun) leaked it to the press
Name two of the Six Cs of Charting.
Client's words, Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Chronological order, Confidentiality
What's the purpose of a "read-back" in a clinical handoff?
confirms accuracy before acting, catches mishearings before they become errors
What did people believe would happen if they slept inside an Asclepion?
they'd receive a dream revealing the cause of their illness and its cure
Why does replication matter in validating a study's findings?
confirms results aren't due to chance, error, or a fluke
Name one thing an IRB checks for before approving a study.
ethical treatment of participants, informed consent, risk to participants
What's the difference between a clinical diagnosis and a differential diagnosis?
clinical = the provider's working diagnosis based on judgment
differential = a list of possible conditions being ruled out
Why does tone matter even when the words used are correct?
tone can reinforce or quietly contradict the actual message
Name one thing patent medicines commonly contained that wasn't disclosed on the label.
opium, cocaine, high concentrations of alcohol, or heavy metals
What made the Salk polio vaccine trial's design especially strong?
large sample size, placebo-controlled, double-blind
Why couldn't Tuskegee participants give true informed consent?
they were never told they had syphilis or that a cure existed
Why is it important to include a patient's own words in a chart note?
accuracy and an honest record of what was actually reported, not just the provider's interpretation
Name one way poor communication can affect patient safety.
medication errors, missed instructions, misunderstood diagnoses
Who wrote The Canon of Medicine, and what were his "seven rules" used for?
Ibn Sina; evaluating whether a treatment actually worked
Name one thing a peer reviewer checks for when evaluating a study.
testable hypothesis, clear/repeatable method, logical conclusion, or red flags like bias/small sample size
Name one law or report that resulted directly from the Tuskegee Study.
the 1974 National Research Act (created IRBs) or the 1979 Belmont Report
What is the purpose of the numerical pain scale in documentation?
gives a consistent, trackable measure of a subjective experience over the course of treatment
Why might relying on strong eye contact as a universal "good" cue be a mistake?
comfort with eye contact varies across cultures, so it isn't a one-size-fits-all signal