Be more proactive in your own healthcare

It is common place for patients to walk into a doctor’s office, give their story, get evaluated and then simply walk out with a prescription and a return appointment. No questions asked, after all the doctor knows what’s best for patients. Is that so? Think again.

Whenever you seek healthcare, you should always have your own perspectives about what you want. Disease states can have very diverse outcomes, depending on how you look at it. There are universally desired outcomes, more desirable for looking at populations. And then, there are individually desired outcomes, better termed as patient-centred outcomes.

Every so often, the eventual goal of your treatment may be at odds with your doctor’s.Patient-centred care keeps you at the heart of decision making about your own treatment. It’s a two way process. Your doctor explains clearly what your options are, all based on your individual circumstances.

You then weigh up the options, look again at what really matters to you, and then both of you make a combined decision on your treatment. This mandates you to be inquisitive about your health problems, be ready to ask questions, and not shy away from disagreeing with your doctor’s recommendations at times.

Every too often, dissatisfaction in healthcare arises due to disparate treatment goals between patients and their care providers. You may have a condition that can be cured with an operation. But that introduces higher costs, potential for complications and longer recovery period. Alternative treatment options may not cure you, but would certainly keep you stable till a desired milestone. If that’s what is important to you, then getting cured isn’t of any concern to you. Your treatment becomes individualized to your desires, you get involved in decision making, and you remain in a health status that conforms to your priorities.

Sometimes your treatment goals may be unrealistic and unattainable. But this should hardly introduce any conflict between you and your doctor. The clinician needs to explain what is possible and negotiate potentially achievable goals with you. The clinician should then provide a treatment plan, encouragement, and advocacy to help you meet agreed-on goals and readdress them if the situation changes. With such an approach, your autonomy and beneficence are still maintained.

But why do some of us still feel less inclined to actively engage with our healthcare providers? The days when medicine was more paternalistic are long gone. No doctor should be too busy not to have time to discuss matters with patients. Or too qualified to the point of arrogance. You too must play your part as well. No point taking your doctor’s orders at face value, without the faintest idea of what you may be getting into. Ask questions, discuss treatment options, and be clear about your treatment goals. Eventual healthcare decisions must be shared between you and your doctor.