Patient-Centred Healthcare

PhysiologyRocks

The consent thread got me thinking.

Patients are being given more and more choice regarding their own treatment. There are obviously positives to this from the angle of autonomy, but can this ever negatively affect treatment outcome? Does it make patients less compliant when it comes to completing prescribed courses of medication?

As a sometimes patient, I like it when my doctor can tell me what to do. She generally allows me to decide for myself, but I'll often ask her to decide for me.

On the other hand, does Googling a condition ever lead anywhere good? I doubt it, but if anybody believes otherwise...

tallaght01

it's great when done with the right intentions. But it's often a political strategy.

You should read about "choose and book" in the UK.

It was an attempt by the politicos to get votes by giving patients more choice about where they treated. But there was never the political will to administer it properly, so the only net effect is to annoy GPs.

PhysiologyRocks

Ta, where might I read about that (I know I can google, but if there's a book that might be in my college library that'd be better)?

Carsinian Thau

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

Ta, where might I read about that (I know I can google, but if there's a book that might be in my college library that'd be better)?

There's a website about it: www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk/


Not a book, but you might find something about it.

Or give a few medical journals a search. They have a higher turnover than books so are probably more likely to contain something about it.

PhysiologyRocks

Just had a look. I can see that being difficult. If that system were really so effective, it would be in place everywhere and would have been thought up of long ago (correct me if I'm wrong).

It seems a bit... fairytale healthcare.

tallaght01

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

Just had a look. I can see that being difficult. If that system were really so effective, it would be in place everywhere and would have been thought up of long ago (correct me if I'm wrong).

It seems a bit... fairytale healthcare.

Just be aware of who wrote the stuff on that website. It's the same people who have a vested interest in it looking good.

If you google it, you might get the opinions of some of the GPs who have to actually use it.

tallaght01

Dr. John Crippen is the best medical blogger in the business. He writes a bit about it:

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2008/01/choose-and-book-scam.html

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2008/01/choose-and-book-revisited-more.html

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Completely disagree with people googling their illness, yes it lead to an increased knowledge base on behalf of the patient with regard to their particular matter, but it also causes panic and anxiety amsongst them.

While yes by all means patients should be interested in their illness/condition they should leave the handling of medication to a trained professional.

I love my G.P:):):)

PhysiologyRocks

tallaght01 wrote: »

Dr. John Crippen is the best medical blogger in the business. He writes a bit about it:

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2008/01/choose-and-book-scam.html

http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2008/01/choose-and-book-revisited-more.html

I just read it. Seems like a bit of a nightmare.