A report in the UK has looked at the issue of patient engagement – how involved people are in the decisions about their health care.
The Picker Institute pointed out that in every national poll they looked at, between a third and a half of patients said they were not involved in decisions about their care and treatment as much as they would like.
The studies said patients were particularly keen to have more choice of medication, the hospitals they were treated in and the doctors they were seen by.
Picker Institute chief executive Angela Coulter said: “The rhetoric of patient-centeredness has a hollow core.”
I think the tide is turning. We’re seeing the decline of the “trust me I’m a doctor” approach to medicine. This is a huge challenge to many doctors. How can they retain patients’ trust yet let go of power? Increasingly patients want to be informed about health care options and involved in making the decisions about their own care – choosing (with the doctor’s expert advice and support) the treatments they wish to receive.
But this is only a small part of engagement. As well as sharing power, there needs to be more sharing of responsibility. Too many people feel that they are victims – that disease just happens to them – and that treatments are also something to be done to them. Understanding how to engage with illness, understanding how to be an active player in their own recovery and health, cannot happen without this shift in power.
I look forward to a more engaged practice of health care, which really is patient-centred.
What’s your experience? Are you engaged in your own health care? Does your doctor share power with you?
Heroes Not Zombies 
I like this post very much. When I became sick and had radiation about 9 years ago, there was not as much information out there that is now readily available. I trusted my doctors because I was young, naive, and very sick.
The tides turned about 2 years ago. Finally, I met a doctor that actually was smart and taught me everything I needed to know when I was younger, that certain doctors did not know themselves and also failed to tell me. He was astounded at the treatment I had received for over six years. My life changed drastically, and for the better.
Looking back, I think I should have taken a few doctors into litigation…that being said, I would like to tell you that yes, now I know that the only difference between a doctor and I, (not including surgeons) is the power of the prescription pad.
I always tell people to make sure that they don’t look at a doctor as a ‘God’. My own cousin is a doctor, and I would not consider her any different than myself.
Also, I will switch a physician in a heart beat if I feel that they are just blowing smoke out the rear.
Please do not take offense to my statements about doctors. I didn’t realize you were one.
Thank you so much for this heart felt comment. I expect your experience will resonate with a lot of people.
The old power structure needs to go and I think your own story here is a good example why. Once you found a doctor who treated you differently things changed, as you say “drastically….for the better” – what more could we hope for?
Oh and don’t worry about possible offence! No offence taken. I am still a practising doctor and its one of my hopes in life that not only can I help patients the way your doctor helped you but that I can help to change the way we do medicine.
I wholeheartedly agree. I know one hospital doctor who amazed me when he worked with my brother to create the most suitable regimen than just saying “here take this, get out.” That was unique.
Patients have to remember, that they themselves too should engage with their doctors by saying “Why?..What if?… I think that?” After all, you should care about yourself more than your doctor. And in turn doctors should be receptive and realise it’s not about being right, but being flexible and allowing room for patient error (to some degree) or seeing if they have the more better approach than you think.
Doctor, thank you for being open minded, like my doctor from Amsterdam. Call me prejudiced, but I find that European doctors are a little more open minded and actually seem to love to practice medicine for the fact that they are fascinated by the human body, not because someone will call them doctor and they will get to hang out at country clubs all day.
I do feel that I will read into your blog more. I highly respect the fact that a physician has the time to be responsive in his own blog, while dealing with Lord knows how many patients a day!
Thanks!
Harlequin
Mo79, glad to hear your story about your brother. It confirms what I believe. The sad thing is that its “unique” – it should be “normal”!
I’m really pleased to hear more and more patients engaging with their doctors in this way. It’s a hopeful sign.
Thankyou for those kind comments Harlequin. You hit the nail on the head I think. I love being a doctor mainly because I find people SO fascinating and SO amazing! Thrills me every single day!
I hope you enjoy some of the other posts here and keep commenting, it makes it worth while.
Bob
My experience has been that I feel more trusting towards a doctor who is willing to educate me about everything involved in my visit, rather than throwing some pills at me and moving on to the next number in line. But underneath it all, I don’t trust that doctors on the whole care enough about getting to the root and seeing a bigger picture. It takes a real search to find a good doctor, and they seem to be more and more rare in a world where money is such a big motivator for this career choice. My last experience with surgery has changed my mind forever about medicine, and in the future, if necessary, I will only choose homeopathic advice, if that. It’s refreshing to read thoughts from a doctor like you who can think outside of the comfortable box, and who truly cares about the individual situation, rather than quickly surveying and categorizing a person.
I’m not surprised that you are more trusting towards a doctor who is willing to educate you instead of treating you as a number.
You know I think a lot of doctors forget that they exist to SERVE patients, not to lord it over them!
I’ve always said that if I’m ever sick and need a doctor, sure I want one who is knowledgeable and skillful but on top of that I want a doctor who frankly gives a damn! I want a doctor to CARE about how things go for me.
Thank you, as always, Ester, for your very kind comments