But what the Bristol Stool Chart can do pretty well is provide clarity.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 which actually indicates constipation. They believed that diarrhea referred more to frequency, rather than to a particular stool form.<\/p>\n
In cases like that, the chart helps to create a shared language, to make sure patients and their providers are on the same page.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think of it kind of like a Rosetta stone. To make sure we\u2019re using the same words to mean the same things,\u201d Henry said. \u201cIt\u2019s a platform for patients and doctors to have better conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because talking about poop may not be most grown-ups\u2019 favorite thing to do, but it\u2019s an important part of overall well-being.<\/p>\n