Ecology Map: Technical Writing in the Anesthesiologist Profession
Equipment Manual
Medical Charts
Billing Statement
Research Articles
By definition publication is the process or act of getting a document finalized to be sold to the public. For Anesthesiologists they use this as a way of not only keeping record of their research but also giving accreditation to the right doctors. A publication in my opinion is a perfect example of technical writing it goes through many peer edits which leads to the document being accurate and clear. I believe Health professionals will use publications in specific with their similar interests rather than a patient who will not end up looking at a doctors publication unless they feel it is absolutely needed. An example for a patient to look at publications is when their getting prepared for surgery and they want to make sure their Anesthesiologist is experienced and well educated.
Case Study Reports
Medical Notes
Medical textbooks
Research Presentations
Podcasts
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Medical notes are primarily kept on the medical charts. There is a specific section for them to be kept. This is in terms of working in the field. Now in terms of being a student medical notes are kept to help students memorize/learn information taught to them or even information that they read. Medical notes are essential in a students learning process. Medical notes include abbreviations and medical terms. This is why I put them in the category of Healthcare workers. The audience of this piece of technical writing is directed towards people with a medical education background.
Medical charts are used to to keep record of many things. The things that are kept record of are what procedure is being done, the surgeon performing the procedure the time it started and ended. The monitors and equipment being used, what pre procedures were taken, the agents and fluids being used. The vital signs of a patient are also kept in the medical chart. There is a second part of the chart that is used as a pre anesthesia evaluation. This includes the age, sex, height and weight of the patient, pre procedure vital signs, family history, who provided the family history, lab studies and the signatures of evaluators and the anesthesiologist. This information is provided for both the patient, surgeons, and other doctors that deal with the patient later. Some ethical considerations would be making sure the document is kept safe and used by the correct professionals and since the document isn't typed up officially when in use some words or symbols could be mistaken for other things not intended.
Research articles are used for health professionals to compare and contrast other research. This type of technical writing is based on peer reviewing and is how health professionals evolve in the health field.
Equipment manuals are used in a medical students learning process. The manuals provide information on how to use the equipment what they are used for and describing the equipment in detail. Manuals use medical wording, pictures, and various labeled diagrams of the machines. As a student in college with some background of medicine I have tried reading a textbook given to me about the different types of machines and it was still a bit confusing to understand.
Podcasts are used to record discussions between doctors, document informational interviews, and even to record a doctors step-by-step process of their work. Although podcasts are not something that is written or typed up I would still consider it as a piece of technical writing because it provides helpful information to an audience.
Research presentations are used to communicate other research topics to influence others about possible research topics and present their ideas to the world. These presentations are usually kept short and informational depending on the intended audience.
Billing records are most important to the patient. They are used to communicate the costs of treatments, medicine, and bed rest in the hospital. This piece of technical writing is simplified enough where a person can read it with or without medical education. Included on the document is the date, statement number, patient ID, name of the healthcare facility with their phone number, a bill to-section that includes the patients name and address, and lastly a table that lists the services provided next to the cost of each service. It is then totaled at the bottom of the document along with payment options.
Patients
Medical Textbooks are mostly used in an anesthesiologists learning path.They consist of various things such as graphs, detailed medical information, and illustrations. They are updated periodically too stay up to date with the newest technologies. Textbooks are the best way for healthcare professionals to learn. As a piece of technical writing it has to be clear for users to understand. These textbooks are very informational and detailed to make sure the future doctors get enough education about their proffession.
Publications
Anesthesiologists/healthcare workers
Case study reports tie into the three other pieces of technical writing listed on the right . Case studies can be used as evidence in research presentations and research articles. These reports include The status of a patient, Assessment of the patient’s condition, Appropriate case plan and recommendations. As a piece of technical writing its intended audience is for doctors and researchers. As an anesthesiologist case study reports are used for learning how they could handle a potential medical situation, comparing practices, and getting ideas about how they can improve their job.