doctorspeak

“They don’t have the energy and vitality” — in doctorspeak, they lack “physiologic reserve.”

In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, they suggested offering to discuss “overall prognosis,” doctorspeak for probable life expectancy and the likelihood of death, with patients who don’t have terminal illnesses.

The authors recognize that doctorspeak requires translation, so after you ask, “������ is the diagnosis?,” they prompt you to follow up with, “������ does this mean?”