ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION

                                                   IMPROVING PATIENT CARE

A

In July 1999, Jason and Charlotte Maude’s three-year-old daughter Isabel ,developed “chickenpox”.The illness followed  the normal patterns at first, but then her  symptoms got worse. Doctors told her parents it was all normal, but Isabel  had  to be rushed to the Accidents &Emergency department of their local hospital. Here her conditions continued to deteriorate. She  went into multiple organ failure as a result of a secondary infections.

B

Isabel  was taken to another hospital ,where she spent two months suffering  from toxics shock syndrome and  necrotizing  fasciitis  ( also known as “the  flesh –eating bug”).Fortunately Isabel eventually  a full recovery .But her parents  were devastated  by the experience – their family doctor and her local A&E department had not diagnosed her  symptoms  correctly, and their doctor had  almost died.

C

During the time that their daughter  was in hospital ,the Maudes  and  paediatrician Dr. Joseph Britto ,who  helped to treat Isabel ,came up with  the idea  of a diagnostic tool to try to stop the  kind of misdiagnosis that had caused them and their daughter so much suffering . The Maudes left their jobs to set up  a medical charity to pursue their idea .

D

The company’s mission statement is “ Our mission to help reduce diagnosis and decisions error and provide clinicians with relevant  knowledge in their  workflow to help them improve the  quality of care “.

E

The product the Maudes  developed ,,called Isabel ,use software to search medical texts. It allow medical staff to key in symptoms ,signs, results, of test and investigations ,etc…The database then delivers a list of possible diagnoses. The  user can click on each diagnosis to access information and images. The software is accessible via the Web or integrated into an electronic medical records  systems.

F

Initially ,the system was designed for paediatric patients, but it now includes  adults  as well. It covers at the majors specialties ,including internal medicine ,surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, geriatrics  and oncology.

G

Isabel is being  used in UK, USA, Ireland and India .At one hospital in the USA ,a paediatrician  listed the main clinical characteristics  of every medical admissions to the paediatric intensive care unit for one  month , and Isabel included the correct diagnosis  in every case . Other  hospitals who have  used it say it is especially useful for cases which  are difficult to diagnose ,For experienced physicians ,it can serve  as a reminder . For less.

1.-Read the text. In which paragraph will you find information about the following:

1)    How the diagnostic tool works._______________

2)    What happened to Isabel  Maude  at the local hospital .___________

3)    How the diagnostic tool  can be used ______________

4)    Who developed the idea for the diagnostic tool______________

5)    Who the system is for _____________

2. - Questions:

1.-The product Jason and Charlotte Maude’s  developed was called :

a) chickenpox

b) the  flesh –eating bug

c) Isabel

2. - The product Isabel  was a :

a) Software to research medical texts.

b) A symptoms

c) A diagnostic

3. - The Isabel company’s mission was :

a) to access  an information

b) Improve the quality of care

c) The investigations and experiments.

4.- Initially ,the system was designed for :

a) Only, including internal medicine, surgery, and gynaecology.

b) Including obstetrics, geriatrics, oncology and majors specialties.

c) Designed for Paediatric patients, but it now includes adults  as well.   

5. - Other hospitals who have  used  the  software  say it is especially useful for cases

a) For cases which are difficult to diagnose,

b) For every medical admissions

c) For paediatric intensive care unit.