But what the Bristol Stool Chart can do pretty well is provide clarity.
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.
In cases like that, the chart helps to create a shared language, to make sure patients and their providers are on the same page.
“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.”
Because talking about poop may not be most grown-ups’ favorite thing to do, but it’s an important part of overall well-being.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
