Weasel Words

Survey Results: Weasel Words at Work

Thursday, 17 March 2005

Last month we asked weasel words at work: hollow words that have had all their meaning sucked out (collateral damage or negative health outcome), and mangement jargon (show me ya KPI and I'll show ya mine) . On the basis of the survey response we can fairly accurately predict the following scene:

A psychiatrist or psych. trainee is sitting at morning tea when he hears: G'day Wayne, those consumers keeping you on the straight and narrow?...How are your outcomes going? The inquirer mistakes a Tourette's like reaction for a friendly nod and continues. "While I've got you, it was articulated by management that there are concerns that we are not optimizing treatment and getting consumer contacts in the right ball park... The psychiatrist is now convulsing on the floor and a "Code Blue" is called. But as always, read everyone's most hated weasel word for your self.

1.What are your most hated weasel words or mangement jargon in the workplace?

Response

BPD. does it mean bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder?

client, outcomes, throughput

clients; for patients (are we merchants or healers?) consumers; for patients (the west*s code for living- consume, be silent, die!) disorder; for perfectly legitimate human suffering antidepressant; for drug that dulls conscious awareness and perppetuates the status quo by stifling the impetus to change.

CONSUMER! Uhgggg.... since when did the mentally ill make the choice to "consume" mental health services, as if they have a real choice. With the death of the word patient so too have we observed the demise of the patient doctor relationship, coz that*s what we*re meant to have with patients isn*t it, a therapeutic relationship rather than dispence "mental health goodness" or what ever it is that they are meant to consume!!

Action (verb), credential (also a verb, apparently). Costeffective, ballpark, touchbase, consumer, team, liaiaiase, and a newie... ITO!!

Risk management (who*s risk are we managing?)

Boundary violation, getting used more and more euphemistically to down play the seriousness of theevent

client

health outcomes "conshumers" I hate this term as if they are greedily gobbling up our time resource management

outcome outcome outcome, since when was life static? if something can*t be measured or form a line item it the budget then it doesn*t exist...caring compassion humanityhow can they be coded

stake holders ie those who must be obeyed without seeming to obey them

FOB (father of the baby) DIY Frequent Flier

medical clearance guarantee safety voluntary, detain if leaves

PSOLIS

MHOAT CONTINUITY OF CARE (in the context of term rotations every 6 months)

"self-soothing" techniques "PD"

Clinician. It is usually used by one of the Johns and Karens, with no surnames and indeterminate professional qualifications, who are employed to prevent the public accessing Mental Health services. Because there is usually no tradesmans entrance, thhey also obstruct GPs and psychiatrists as well.

consumer

Gate-keepers.

risk management optimal patient outcomes client (grrrrrr) middle management

In our opinion... It was articulated... There are concerns that.. We need to optimise..

2.Can you recall any weasel words used in the media in relation to mental health or mentally unwell patients?

Response

psychotic - wonder what it means? neurosis, or psychopathic or purely delusional and hallucinating?

No one word, but mentally ill constantly protrayed in the media, esp TV/films as mureders and perverts. this leads to misunderstandings in the public. eg I overheard a conversation the other day between two women, one who had holidayed near a "mentall hospital" and felt scared when patients walked past her on the beach!!

not really

usually avoid popular media*s reporting of mental health issues due to the weasel words and other frustrations provoked by largely ignorant reporting, its the ostrich approach

Baxter. Vanstone. Regrettable.

The perpetrator had to receive "counselling" for his "anger issues" ie. he should be in jail!

tired and emotional?

mental health consumers

"Tragically this mother of a girl with anorexia nervosa knows all too well the shortcomings of the mental health system as two of her sons fell through the gaps and committed suicide." HELLLLOOO?

imprecise words like "the mentally ill" which can mean anything the old favourite "nervous breakdown" which conveys nothing

behavioural disturbance...benign way of displaying grossly unwell and disturbed behaviour that concerns pretty much everyone at baxter

escape in relation to a patient leaving hospital

NUTTER

CLIENTS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE CONSUMERS

Mental Health Triage Centre. It really means a call centre located in India, Sydney or worse.

split personality in reference to schizophrenia almost everyone is diagnosed with depression

Schizophrenic man/woman... Psychiatric patient...