Many people in the UK are unable to identify the location of their major organs, a study suggests.
A team at King’s College London found public understanding of basic anatomy has not improved since a similar survey was conducted 40 years ago.
Less than 50% of the more than 700 people surveyed could correctly place the heart, BMC Family Practice says.
Under one-third could place the lungs in their correct location, but more than 85% got the intestines right.
There are concerns that a poor grasp of anatomy could potentially compromise patient care.
The researchers asked more than 700 people to look at outlines of both a male and female body and identify which of several shaded areas was a particular organ.
Those asked included apparently healthy members of the public and then people undergoing treatment for a problem that affected specific organs.
Even those for whom the organ was particularly relevant often performed poorly – more than half of those with renal problems did not correctly identify the kidneys.
Fewer than 30% of the general population were able to do so.
What a bunch of morans.
“There is a real problem with health literacy – people’s ability to understand and process health information – which this study is indicative of.”
I think a better conclusion is that about 50% of the population is fucking stupid.
“I’m not a doctor, but I got those two.” I don’t think “location” of organs is very important. Their function is important however and knowledge of that is unlikely without even knowing where they are.
To your header question though, you make quite an ASSumption that there is any difference between the ass and the brains of a large portion of our agenda driven posters here. Alfie, you know who you are, or you will when the religious haze clears. (Alfie really is just too easy. Add any of the Republicon shills.)
Why is knowing the location of the pancreas important in daily life any more than knowing algebra?
I’m not make an argument for ignorance, but rather making an argument against necessity.
Without a map, I can identify the locations of about 40 states, but I get confused the location of some of the big square states in the West that aren’t on the coast or the border.
I think most people can be tripped up by — if not something like the location of the pancreas — the spelling of desert versus dessert or the definition of a word like riposte.
Quit being so damn judgmental!
Does that make them ignorant?
#3–HMyers==”Does that make them ignorant? /// Exactly–yes. That is the very definition/example of the word/concept.
Are you ignorant as to what ignorant means?
Well at least I know my ass from a hole in the ground.
@Bobbo
What is the significance of the number “e”?
We can define ignorance in so many ways, yet it can be defined so many judgmental ways so that no one can always pass the test.
Case in point, the poster of this blog entry had something like “Neocons want Ahmadinejad to win in Iraq?”
Well, was that a typo or not knowing the difference between the 2 countries?
Without Googling it, I don’t remember what my spleen does.
I don’t believe the presumption of ignorance cannot be made with an arbitrary question.
I agree there are many undereducated people in this world including the USA and obviously this blog.
Without some help, I wouldn’t be able to change my own oil in my car. Some would say that makes me ignorant, despite the fact I can identify almost all the components when lifting the hood.
Ignorance can be defined in so many very arbitrary ways!
Why is it so important to judge others?
the problem is we’ve built a society on the presumption that one IS supposed to know everything reguardless of weather you learned it or not!!. let alone weather it is relevent to you… now say if we all had transparent skin and could see everyday where our internal organs are, i would think all of us would be able to remeber where they are when asked.
You have to learn to know in the first place. You can’t be ignorant to begin with. I might stand corrected for a few but that’s ok.
Seriously though, before Engineering I was planning on med school and studied quite a bit for it. Even with the classes it’s hard to tell after a long period of time. People do forget 🙂
That is what is wrong with health care in the UK if only 30% of doctors and nurses knew where major organs were. I hope I never get sick if I visit the UK.
#6–Hmyers==I’m trying to see thru the vacuousness of your post to what might be the motivation or worthwhile gem of an alternative idea==but I’m not finding any. I’m ignorant on that subject.
I don’t know what “e” is. I’m ignorant.
I don’t remember what the spleen does exactly either “cleans the blood” or helps the liver do it would be my guess. But like you, I am NOT IGNORANT as to the importance of what the speen does nor where to get the answer if it ever becomes relevant. We can use the interwebitubes, or wait for Nimby to tell us over a glass of Chianti. Now, I do know the major grape variety used in Chianti, I am INFORMED, but who cares?
Why do you “LABEL” simple obvious fact determinations as being “judgmental?” What are you trying to suppress?????? What do you think is “at risk?”
You better understand your own motivations, or remain ignorant as to your own value system. Very sad when a life is lived and ends in ignorance. WORSE when you blog with the intent to convince others to join your pointless/wrong headed emotional nonsense position.
Explain your position/goals/values/definitions?
Here’s Alfredone’s brain.
Some people are just [sarcasm] underedumicated [/sarcasm] and some are just plain stupid.
#7 “… weather it is relevent to you…”
Yes, the weather is ‘relevent’ to me. Knowing when to use whether, weather, and even wether can be relevant. Knowing where your heart is could also be relevant.
#11–Jag==that can’t be right, after all, the shell is not empty.
#13–athmos==”wee leather” can also be very entertaining, but==when does anyone benefit from knowing where the heart is?
I can’t think of a single example.
As close as I can get is doing external compressions on heart failure, and there the palms of the hand are placed relative to the sternum==no need to know where the heart is at all.
Your example?
I think Uncle Dave posted the wrong pancreas diagram.
The one shown looks like the penis location map for first year med students.
#6: e is either 5 or 14, depending on your usage.
As for the Iraq/Iran mistake, one of my fingers can be quite petulant at times and often does its own thing like typing a ‘q’ instead of an ‘n’. It doesn’t listen to my brain which knows all. Bad finger!
#7: ‘Whether’ you know the ‘weather’ is also important.
#12: Exactly. Ignorant means that for whatever reason you don’t know something, but could learn. Stupid is forever.
#10, I think he’s getting at the idea that ignorant is normally used to mean somebody is uneducated in general, not that he is lacking particular bits of knowledge. So for example, if a person doesn’t know exactly how Euler’s Number “e” is derived, but knows how to apply it to calculate, say, a definite integral, I wouldn’t necessarily call him “ignorant.” Though, if he had no clue what it was or that it had anything to do with math, then that label would likely be more appropriate since it says something about his general lack of knowledge about mathematics. If, for the purpose of the example, that is what we are using as a measuring stick.
#18–SL==I agree. Now why can’t Hmyers be one half as lucid as yourself===IF that is what he meant.
Imagine: someone doesn’t know everything. EVERYTHING. As in, EVERYONE is IGNORANT about 99.99% of the facts available in this world.
What remains the only relevant issue is can you admit your own/the universal ignorance of man so as to avoid its harshest effects, or do you attempt to hide the fact by emotional claims of someone being judgmental?
Heh, heh. I can’t recall anyone saying “Thats judgmental” having anything interesting to say thereafter. Wonder what that connection is.
Haha, yes, if we broaden our scope to encompass the entire universe, we certainly are all very ignorant.
Last I heard it was something like the total sum of human knowledge was doubling every 40years and the speed of doubling was increasing.
Holy future shlock Alvin Toblin. (whoever?).
So, I think you Sea Lawyer still show a bit of the hubris in thinking you know a lot when the truth is we all are mostly ignorant even of what is actually known and available much less what we don’t even know yet which must approach infinity?
There should be some mechanism to take pride in humility, no one likes being humble for its own qualities. Being honest just doesn’t cut it.
bobbo, I think you mean Alvin Toffler.
lol. I know what I know, and that’s all I’ll take credit for. Everything else is just me being a good sea lawyer 😉
Hmmm, a Kings College London survey… I’d bet that a good deal of the people they asked were not native English speakers.
Note to self: Whenever a medical student comes up and starts asking absurdly stupid questions for their survey, make sure you give them stupid answers.
#14 – bobbo
It is in its case. 😉
I wear my heart on my sleeve!
— or —
I left my heart in San Francisco!
#26, Patso,
I hope you didn’t leave your jacket in San Fransico. Although that would explain why some think you are heartless.
😉
@Bobbo
“Me ape think me am better ape because me ape ask silly question and you ape not know.”
People that are secure in who they are don’t need to waste time thinking about how they are better than other people.
Not everyone is an expert in everything. I’m sure most readers would be able to tell us where we would find and what they are in this list. If you get them all, great. If not you are normal.
binomial
EGR
platelet
mandrill
humbucking pickup
parallax
endometrial tissue
fee simple
castle nut
moog
acappella
ASTM
dork
islets of Langerhans
The point is, if I could fix my EGR I wouldn’t need an auto mechanic. If I knew all about the islets of Langerhans I wouldn’t need a doctor to tell me I’m diabetic. If I could sing accapella, people wouldn’t ask me to sing Far, Far Away anymore.
They asked 700 people who were either healthy or sick. It does not mention they asked ANY health care providers. One assumes those providing health care will actually take some study anatomy at some point in their education. So, how does this “compromise patient care” any more than not knowing where Djibouti is on a map?
#14 Bobbo: Looks about right to me. Alfie is not witless, he’s what we in the medical profession call a half-wit. Pardon the technical jargon.
#29 Fusion: Ahhh, the Islets of Langerhans. The most recent missus and I spent a lovely holiday there soaking up insulin on the beach.