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Engels/English 3 for Academic Studies1

Reading Exercise 2014-2015: Log 1 on Education


Study Programme:
Name:

Iacob Andreea

Date:

26.02.2015
Sources:

Online dictionaries:

The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/

Oxford: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Longman: http://www.ldoceonline.com/

The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/uk

Macmillan: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/

The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Merriam-Webster: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

The Economist: issues available on PointCarr

Thesaurus.com: http://thesaurus.reference.com/
Online collocation dictionary: http://oxforddictionary.so8848.com/

1. The reading material (please attach a printout of the article to this log)
Title of the article: Doctors Strive to Do Less Harm by Inattentive Care
URL link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/health/doctors-strive-to-do-lessharm-by-inattentive-care.html?ref=todayspaper
Date of publication: febr. 17, 2015
2.

Comprehension and extended learning

A. Understanding: Note down the following information while reading,


using full correct sentences.

What is
being
discussed?

Why is the
issue being
discussed?
(describe
the
background)

In this article, the main subject is reducing the suffering of the


patients while they are hospitalized and how the national
surveys can contribute to bring better results. Different ways to
resolve this problem are also being studied .

Reducing the patient suffering, not only the kind caused by


disease, but also by medical care itself, has become a new
medical goal.

The evidences provided are the results of the Medicare and


What
evidence is
provided?

Press Ganey surveys, which are reflecting the opinios of the


discharged. After applying new rules one medical units score
rose rom 16th percentile to 47th. The surveys showed that

Engels/English 3 for Academic Studies2

listening and answering to the patients questions is very


important and can improve the quality of the medical service.
How are the
ideas
developed?
(present the
topics of all
paragraphs
coherently)

It all starts with a quote of Dr Thomas H. Lee, the chief medical


officer of Press Ganey, a company that surveys hospital patients,
who believes that everybody is avoiding to use the word
suffering .
Nevertheless, as Dr Kennets Sands assumes , the suffering is as
important as injuries or infections acquired in a hospital, so it
has to be measured and eliminated.
When Dr. Sands and his team asked their own patients what
made them suffer, they found several categories, such as losing
valuable things, communication problems, or privacy matters.
After observing these harms, Dr. Sands assumed that they elicit
suffering and they are currently unrecorded. One efficient way
to record them are the surveys, which can bring up the harms.
Dr. Michael Bennik started from a question about the silence in
the room at night, and realised that the main issue was in fact if
a patient could sleep the entire night with no interruption for
blood draws, treatments or any other interventions.
Dr Bennick decided not to wake up the patients anymore, during
the night hours, unless there is an obvious clinical need. This
measure only rose the medical units score from 16 percentile to
the 47th nationally in the Medicare survey, and its cost was only
thinking from a different point of view.
Dr. Lees goal was also to reduce suffering, although at the
beginning he wondered whether it is a bit too emotional. Press
Ganey administers detailed surveys to discharged patients and
after the company encouraged hospitals to let doctors know the
results.
Dr Scott Ramsey, a health care economist and cancer researcher
in Seattle, considers that surveys can be sometimes not so
accurate, because those who respond are often afraid about
expressing negative opinions on the care they depend on.
Nevertheless, he thinks, it would be great if survey answers
could improve medical care.
At some places, like the University of Utah, the doctors knew the
results and being criticized, they decided to improve and later
they had much better results.
At Stanford Health Care, the entire medical system focuses on
quality medical care and constant trainings on minimizing
suffering.
The writer closes the article with a quote that is a kind of advice
for the doctors, to be constantly aware of the patients needs.

Engels/English 3 for Academic Studies3

What is the
stance of
the writer?

B. Vocabulary: Note down 5-10 new or useful key words or expressions


in the article. 1) define the words with the help of a dictionary; 2)
supply other forms of the words when applicable; 3) supply 2
synonyms.
1. ELICIT : to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty.
Synonyms: to call forth; to deduce.
2. A tad : a very small amount. Synonyms: a bit
3. Stance : the opinions that somebody has about something and expresses
publicly. Synonyms: position, attitude, point of view.
4. Sharp-eyed: able to see very well and quick to notice things. Synonyms:
perceptive; sighted.
5. Survey : an investigation of the opinions, behaviour, etc. of a particular group
of people, which is usually done by asking them questions;
-an examination of the condition of a house, etc., usually done for somebody who is
thinking of buying it. a detailed structural survey. Synonyms : examination, scrutiny.
6. To strive : to try very hard to achieve something.
strive (for something) We encourage all members to strive for the highest
standards.
strive (against something) striving against corruption
strive to do something Newspaper editors all strive to be first with a story.
She strove to find a solution that was acceptable to all.
Synonyms : to struggle, to strain.
C. Write a short opinion essay in 150-200 words, using the selected
article as a basis; present at least one key argument; write coherently
and mind the style, the word choice, grammar and punctuation. If
references are used, indicate the source of information in a list below
the essay.

As the article shows, it is very important that inside a hospital patients


should be treated in the best way possible, not only the treatment for
disease being important, but also the comfort, privacy, constant attention
and care.
A patient is a man in need that comes to the hospital to find health and
regain a quality life. Life in hospital is already a bit stressful, because of
the treatments, tests, medication, so the general feeling is not at all cosy
3

Engels/English 3 for Academic Studies4

and pleasant. This is why the medical staff should improve their
behaviour, trying to change their point of view and also trying to
accomplish their duties from the patients point of view. Medical managers
have a great responsibility, they should constantly consult the surveys
and after offer specific training to their teams, in order to make them
more and more patients orientated. The surveys, even though not always
totally accurate, are able to furnish an important feedback of the
discharged, thus being able to improve, in time, the quality and standard
of medical care.

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