I've recently been working in a consulting room - in the VIP outpatient clinic of a hospital in China. Most of the patients in the VIP clinic are from other countries and can't speak Chinese. Thankfully, most of them speak English and bring a smartphone - that really helps.

Usually, patients have already searched their symptoms on the Internet with their smartphone before they go to see a doctor. That is, they'll go to hospital with in mind all of the relative medical English terms or terminologies. 

When they are in the consulting room with a doctor, they use a smartphone to google anything they are not so sure about to make sure they don't misunderstand the doctor who doesn't share the mother tongue with them.  

Sometimes, with a smartphone, they show a doctor the English name of a medication/medicine they're taking, just in case the doctor isn't really familiar with the medication's English name. They can also show their doctor an X-ray image or laboratory results on their smartphone. 

The doctors who can't speak English fluently may use a smartphone to make sure they have prescribed their patient the right medications. 

So, smartphones are so helpful in the consulting room - I suggest you bring your smartphone when you need to see a doctor in China. 

VIP: very important person

smartphone: a mobile phone that can be used as a computer

mother tongue: first language

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Comments

  • Hi bet,

    Wifi isn't always available (to the public) here, but you can use the 'data' (you paid for) to browse on the Internet. So, it's not really a problem.

    Thanks!

  • But, Smith so far I know internet connection is a bit tough to get in China.....

  • Hi Raptor,

    Thanks for the comment. Yes, it can be so awkward for a doctor or a mechanic to say 'See you' to their patient or customer, because nobody really wants to see a doctor or get their car repaired again:)

  • Hi LIEDY,

    Thank you for the comment - I agree with you!

  • Thank my friend for your nice blog !!

    Smart phone today is very important in our life not only in hospital we used it evry time and anywhere spacialy in schools and universities ,for me ,usually when i go to hospital the doctor give me medications i search about it if it is the rigt one and what the indications of it sometimes the doctors give me the name of the disase iconfirme if it the doctor does not make mistike i search about this name and the symtoms and how i do to feel better with a naturel medications and if the pharmaceuticals medications is the only way  i use them.

    The same thing i my work i use it evry time in trductions and dictionary and to know what the newsin my speciality.

  • @Evangelina

    Yes, I used to be a surgeon. I've left the hospital I used to work in - I've accepted a job offer from another hospital. I'm still an ICU doctor, even though I sometimes see outpatients in the VIP clinic of the hopital. 

    @Luci

    Thanks again.

    @Icha

    Yes, you can say that again. Undoubtedly, it's easier for people to learn something with the help of the smartphone - I can't imagine life without a smartphone. Thankfully, my patients still think I'm their doctor - the smartphone isn't:)

    @mizan

    It seems so - the smartphone can be so versatile. Thanks!

  • thank you so much. I think it is not only for medical purpose, today we are using smartphone for our any problem to solve (as can as possible). 

  • Hi Expector,

    It is obvious that the modern era like nowadays the existence of smartphone or gadgets occupying many aspects in our lives. We can’t deny that these tools within many features inside of them helping us lots in our daily activities particularly about information that we need. Live it seems easier since these smart phones or gadgets have coloured our lives. But the important thing that we need to remember is human are social being, so the kind of the smartphones or gadgets only tool for us to ease our activities.

    Back to your theme, we still need a professional expert to do the right things in the right path. We can say in this case is a doctor. It is good to know a disease and its symptoms by goggling in internet in order to add our knowledge about health issues. But, It is will be different if we need to cure our disease that we have. We still need a doctor to consult and advise us in proper ways.

    Thanks to share your thought with us. 

  • Doctor :) I agree with you! Let me just add that I also work with people and thanks to the Internet there are many oversmart individuals so it wouldn't surprise me, if some of them would tell doctor, how to heal them as they searched it on the Internet and know it the best :D Grrrrrr!
  • @dara

    Thanks for being the first to add a comment here. Yes, the smartphone can be so helpful.

    @arif

    Yes, smartphones are everywhere in China - a huge market for mobile phone producers. Thanks!

    @setareh

    Right, the smartphone is so versatile - so useful! I can't imagine a world without it:) 

    @Luci

    Great! Yes, information on the Internet can be so unreliable. I do suggest people seek help from a real doctor, rather than from a machine. Sure, you bet it will upset me if my patients keep telling me what they found about their problems on the Internet. 

    It's not really a taboo, though, to search for answers on the Internet - it depents on how you interpret all the answers on your smartphone. 

    @Adaline

    Thanks! I wish I could speak Tamil. yes, the smartphone does facilitate language learning. 

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