"Henry recalled an experience when he was working with multiple patients complaining of diarrhea, but when he asked them to point to what their stool looked like on the chart, they pointed to Type 1 - which actually indicates constipation. They believed that diarrhea referred more to frequency, rather than to a particular stool form."
""I think of it kind of like a Rosetta stone. To make sure we're using the same words to mean the same things," Henry said. "It's a platform for patients and doctors to have better conversations.""
"But what the Bristol Stool Chart can do pretty well is provide clarity."
The Bristol Stool Chart provides clarity by linking stool appearance to defined types, helping distinguish stool form from frequency. Patients often equate diarrhea with frequency rather than with loose or liquid stool, which can lead to misclassification such as labeling Type 1 constipation as diarrhea. Using the chart allows patients and providers to identify stool types accurately and align terminology. The chart functions as a practical tool to reduce ambiguity, improve assessments of bowel habits, and facilitate better conversations about gastrointestinal symptoms and overall well-being.
Read at BuzzFeed
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