Disease Explanation Paper:
Disease Selection:
Choose any disease of interest. It can be common, rare, or emerging. Ideally, pick a disease that intrigues you or has some personal significance to encourage a deeper level of understanding. Write a narrative of a medical professional explaining the following characteristics of the disease to a patient:
Etiology: Understand and detail the causes of the disease. This can include genetic factors, environmental exposures, lifestyle choices, etc.
Pathophysiology: Delve into the mechanisms through which the disease develops. How does it progress? What happens at the cellular, tissue, or organ level?
Symptoms: Detail the clinical manifestations of the disease. What signs or symptoms does a patient typically present with?
Diagnosis: Describe the tools and methods used to diagnose this disease. This can include imaging, laboratory tests, biopsies, etc.
Treatment: Research and outline current treatment modalities for the disease. This can range from pharmacological interventions to surgical procedures, to lifestyle recommendations.
Recent Research: Highlight any groundbreaking or emerging research related to the disease. Are there new potential treatments on the horizon? New diagnostic tools? What does the future hold for patients with this disease?
Tips for Success:
Begin with a brief overview or introduction to your disease topic to set the stage.
Remember to consider your audience. Ensure your paper would be understandable to patient with no medical knowledge, even if they haven’t studied your particular disease in detail.
Engage with peer-reviewed articles, medical databases, and reputable health websites for information.
While focusing on the science and medical aspects, also consider adding a human touch
Criteria
Exemplary (5)
Proficient (4)
Word Count
300 words
280-299 words
Etiology
Provides a comprehensive yet patient-friendly understanding of the disease’s causes within a narrative.
Describes the primary causes of the disease clearly for the patient in a narrative form.
Pathophysiology
Explains disease progression in relatable terms, ensuring patient comprehension within the story.
Provides a general yet clear overview of the disease’s progression in a story format.
Symptoms
Thoroughly and clearly describes all major and minor symptoms in understandable terms within the narrative.
Describes most major symptoms in a patient-friendly narrative.
Diagnosis
Clearly explains all diagnostic tools & methods within the story, ensuring patient understanding.
Describes the primary diagnostic tools effectively for a patient in the narrative.
Treatment
Offers a clear overview of all treatments, ensuring patient comprehension within the story.
Describes the primary treatment modalities in patient-friendly narrative terms.
Recent Research
Highlights recent research in a manner that highlights significance for the patient within the narrative.
Describes at least one major research finding clearly for the patient in the story.
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Narrative Quality (Tone, Clarity, & Engagement)
The narrative consistently maintains a tone that is empathetic, understandable, and captures interest, resonating emotionally with the imagined patient.
The story is mostly engaging, relatable, and maintains an appropriate tone with minor lapses.
Visual Aids
Visual aids are highly relevant, clear, and enhance the narrative’s patient understanding.
Visual aids are mostly relevant and provide some enhancement to the narrative.
Citation of Sources
All sources are appropriately and consistently cited. Relies on high-quality, reputable sources.
Most sources are cited with few inconsistencies. Quality of sources is generally good.
