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Engels/English 3 for Academic Studies1

Reading Exercise 2014-2015: Log 1 on Education

Study Programme: Name: Iacob Andreea Date: 26.02.2015Sources: The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/ukThe Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/The Economist: issues available on PointCarr Online dictionaries: Oxford: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/Longman: http://www.ldoceonline.com/Macmillan: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/Merriam-Webster: http://www.learnersdictionary.com/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 CareURL link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/18/health/doctors-strive-to-do-less-harm-by-inattentive-care.html?ref=todayspaperDate of publication: febr. 17, 20152. Comprehension and extended learningA. Understanding: Note down the following information while reading, using full correct sentences. What is being discussed?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 .

Why is the issue being discussed? (describe the background)Reducing the patient suffering, not only the kind caused by disease, but also by medical care itself, has become a new medical goal.

What evidence is provided? The evidences provided are the results of the Medicare and 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 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.

What is the stance of the writer?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.

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 corruptionstrive 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 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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