Johanna wrote: I was trained (as a social worker) to use "pt./client
denies..." when
confronted with a discrepancy between what the client says and what I'm
seeing.  For example, "client denies alcohol use."  What I'm smelling is
alcohol, what the client is telling me is that he's sober.  I use this in
lactation as well.  "Pt. denies discomfort while breastfeeding."  What
I'm seeing is a cracked, bleeding nipple.  Another example, "pt. denies
scheduling feeds."  What I'm seeing is an "ezzofied" household and
"Babywise" on the coffee table.


This is my concern about the use of "denies." When used by medical
professionals, it isn't intended to suggest a discrepancy between the
client's words and the professional's observations. It just means "the
patient responded negatively when asked." Period. However, when (say) a
social worker, with this background, or even the average lay person, hears
"patient denies" something, the assumption made is that this denial is
probably not the truth.

These verbal shorthands may be useful within one profession, but we need to
be cautious when writing for or speaking to people with different
backgrounds, as the word may carry quite different connotations.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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