[Young males have scant knowledge of anatomy and physiology]

When communicating with patients, doctors make assumptions as to their ability to comprehend and adjust the complexity of the information accordingly. We studied the knowledge of anatomy and physiology among young men. 150 men, 18 to 26 years old, serving mandatory military service, were interviewed during doctor consultations. The patients had a minimum of nine years of education; 93% had completed upper secondary school or started education at college level. In order to locate organs and indicate organ size, the patients were asked to draw an outline of the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, appendix and thyroid gland on a pre-drawn outline of the human body. The patients were also asked to explain the major function(s) of these organs in lay terms. Responses were judged as "correct", "partially correct" and "incorrect" against pre-set criteria. The percentage of correct replies with respect to organ location ranged from 9% (spleen) to 49% (appendix), from 4% (liver) to 53% (appendix) with respect to organ size, and from 0.7% (thyroid gland) to 92% (heart) with respect to organ function. Young men have deficient knowledge of the locations and functions of important internal organs. In addition to correct diagnosis and the start of optimal treatment. consultations should include patient education.