I've always been a very big advocate for patients taking more responsibility and being actively involved in decisions about their health care and treatment. Yes, we all respect the recommendations of our healthcare providers and trust them to do well by us. However, as the beneficiaries of this care we need to accept responsibility for the decisions we make given all of the information available. We should never just defer to nurses, doctors or other caregivers just because we think they know what is best for us!!!
In fact, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations sets standards, which include the following:
RI.1.2 Patients are involved in all aspects of their care.
RI.1.2.4 Patients are involved in resolving dilemmas about care decisions.
Mayor Luna captured this in his recent comments about the 1 year anniversary of the reopening of Santa Paula Hospital. Thank you, Mayor Luna!
It's a bit of a Catch 22, though. Most people, in our (post)modern world, as so uneducated about general, medical issues that they are relying on the provider they're speaking with to inform them about the possible choices. This can be like asking a politician about fiscal responsibility. The only hope to have people be better informed BEFORE they come across a situation.
Posted by: Robert Murphy | August 01, 2007 at 12:18 PM
Patient education is minimum requirement that health care providers should look into.
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Posted by: Affordable Cosmetic Surgery | January 07, 2008 at 09:47 PM