Respiratory physician Lutz Beckert considers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management, including the prevention of COPD, the importance of smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation, and the lifesaving potential of addressing treatable traits. He also discusses the logic of inhaler therapy, moving from single therapy to dual and triple therapy when indicated, as well as other aspects of management
Choose the right words: Misapplication of terms obscures inequities
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Opinion
Choose the right words: Misapplication of terms obscures inequities
Wednesday 13 March 2024, 01:00 AM

Precision in language is essential, particularly in technical fields like healthcare [Image: Brett Jordan on Unsplash]
Using confusing terms in health documents, such as ‘non-avoidable’, can conceal disparities and undermine efforts towards achieving true health equity, writes Gabrielle Baker
The words we use matter. When working in technical areas, which is usually the case in health services, we must be precise with our terminology, or we
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa
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References
- Whitehead M. 1992. The concepts and principles of equity and health. International Journal of Health Services 22:429–445.
- https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/health-status-report/
- Harris, R, et al. We still don’t count: the under-counting and under-representation of Māori in health and disability sector data. New Zealand Medical Journal (2022).
- Available on the Ministry of Health website: https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/what-we-do/achieving-equity#:~:text=World%20Health%20Organization.-,The%20definition,to%20get%20equitable%20health%20outcomes
- If you want to know more about this international classification system for diseases, you can visit the WHO website: https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/classification-of-diseases