Johns Hopkins students created a medical journal, without the jargon

Rushabh Doshi wants patients to be more informed about medical care. To do so, a natural place to look would be medical journals. But Doshi realizes the articles in these publications aren’t necessarily written with the average reader in mind.
“There are only scientific terms that researchers can barely understand, let alone the average person,” he said.
The public health studies student saw firsthand while shadowing doctors that the information could be useful for patients who are seeking to learn about what care might be available to them. Educating patients could help them further understand what’s happening on their visits.
So the Johns Hopkins senior set out to create an outlet that might make the terminology easier to understand. With Hippocrates Medical Review, he is teaming with fellow students to create a platform that functions like a journal, with articles based on scientific research and information about the latest discoveries. But it’s designed to break down complex medical ideas for the reader.
The initiative received $20,000 from Johns Hopkins’ 10X20 Idea Lab last year, which helped get the journal and website off the ground. Doshi is looking to get the journal into clinics in the area. However, digital distribution is also a part of the strategy. This month, an app showing the review’s content was released on the App Store.
Doshi said the journal seeks to take a wide lens to the field of medicine, so the journal is broken down into sections including biotech, global health and how medicine interacts with the humanities. Doshi believes educating patients will help empower them, and in turn challenge caregivers to create more patient-centered care.
And Doshi isn’t doing everything himself. The organization gives students an avenue to write about cutting edge medicine.
“Students can really talk about what they’re passionate about and make an impact on real people,” he said.