14 DAY TRIAL // A new scientific study brings nothing but saddening news for Britons: over the last 40 years, the levels of basic understanding of human anatomy have remained stationary, and no visible improvement could be seen, King's College London experts say. A large number of those who were part of the research had no idea where major organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas were located, and some of them gave totally ridiculous locations for them.
According to BMC Family Practice, less than half of those who took part in the research knew where the heart was correctly located. And that's a big shock, analysts say, because it's the only organ in the body that makes its location constantly known. Those who responded in the study could have simply taken a moment and figure out which part of their body was beating regularly. More than 700 individuals participated in the investigation.
Less than 20 percent of the respondents knew where their lungs were located, which is fairly odd, considering the fact that simply breathing in cold air instantly reveals their position. Counter-intuitively, more than 85 percent of participants knew where their intestines were located. The bladder also seems to be a favored organ, with little over 80 percent of people being able to identify its correct location. However, when it came to kidneys, only some 30 percent knew where they were situated.
“There is a real problem with health literacy – people's ability to understand and process health information – which this study is indicative of. It really does matter, particularly as we look ahead to an NHS where resources are ever tighter. If people are going to use the NHS in an effective way they need to be able to communicate and understand what is said to them – this way we avoid repeat referrals, unnecessary hospitalizations. Everyone involved has to think harder about how to engage people in their own health – it's the only way,” the Head of Policy at the patient research group Picker Institute Europe, Don Redding, said, quoted by the BBC News.
“Ideally the public would have a better knowledge of the location of their major body organs than this study suggests. This would hopefully produce a more meaningful dialog with their doctor when something goes wrong with one of these organs. However, it is ultimately more important to know how to look after your heart than where it is in your body,” British Heart Foundation representative Ellen Mason concluded.