Physical Therapy Jargon

[Ndebt]

I write this post with a high level of respect for physical therapists. I am in school to become one myself. But what I'm curious about is the terminology used in PT. It appears that both in documentation and in discussion with doctors and patients a physical therapist will use complex words to represent simple ones. Examples include documenting "pt ambulated 200 feet" instead of "patient walked 200 feet". Why is it done like this?
Is this done by all medical professions? Seems a little unusual.

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[jblil]

All professions tend to develop an unique jargon to separate its members from mere mortals. Think of it as the modern equivalent of the secret initiation rituals of yore.

 

[callmecrazy]

Using the appropriate jargon/terminology is often the best way to clearly and concisely document, as the terms have a more precise meaning than other word choices. Much of it can also be abbreviated to keep things even more concise, which is important for a number of practical reasons. It's commonplace, and not at all unusual, in medical professions.

FWIW... If you picked up my daily notes, that phrase above would actually read as "amb 200' " to keep things as brief as possible.

 

[DesertPT]

Jargon is necessary for clear and concise communication between PTs and other healthcare providers, as mentioned above, and yes literally all professions have their own jargon and vocabulary, medical or otherwise. However it is also very important to not use jargon when talking to pts. Sometimes it seems like PTs are better at this than a lot of docs, but it is still surprising how easy it is for words that people don't know to slip out and sound confusing.