"When I need to explain medication-related terms, I always try to word it in the simplest terms possible. I understand not everyone is familiar with medical terms, and I want my patients to understand what I am telling them and not be confused. I describe contraindication as having a certain medical condition or symptom that will worsen if given a particular drug. I then give the example that if a person has a bleeding disorder, aspirin is contraindicated in that person as aspirin can cause excessive bleeding and make the condition worse. I then ask the patient if they understand or if I need to word it differently. I can usually tell by the look on a person's face if they understood what I was saying, but I still like to ask them to be sure."
