Comments on: Can patients truly be consumers? http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87897 Anonymous Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87897 Unless my mental status were compromised, or were in a true emergency, If I were not offered a satisfactory level of information to my questions, I would not take any step until I had second-guessed him quite thoroughly about my specific situation by researching it myself, and weighing the option best for the context of my own life and my own definition of optimal outcome. Unless my mental status were compromised, or were in a true emergency, If I were not offered a satisfactory level of information to my questions, I would not take any step until I had second-guessed him quite thoroughly about my specific situation by researching it myself, and weighing the option best for the context of my own life and my own definition of optimal outcome.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87892 Anonymous Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:59:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87892 That "parent and teenager" analogy sounds more like a rather feeble attempt to justify not taking the time necessary to talk to patients so that they can participate in decisions regarding their treatment. The analogy falls apart as soon as you enter money into the equation. A parent is usually supporting the teen and thus asserts some right to make decisions for him/her ("...as long as you're living under my roof, you'll do as I say!..."). With some exceptions, patients generally pay for their care, even if through a third party, and therefore it certainly is a consumer transaction. By denying the sharing of information, you create and enforce a certain master/child relationship, but it's nothing that's necessarily inherent to the interaction. It is what you make it. That “parent and teenager” analogy sounds more like a rather feeble attempt to justify not taking the time necessary to talk to patients so that they can participate in decisions regarding their treatment. The analogy falls apart as soon as you enter money into the equation. A parent is usually supporting the teen and thus asserts some right to make decisions for him/her (“…as long as you’re living under my roof, you’ll do as I say!…”). With some exceptions, patients generally pay for their care, even if through a third party, and therefore it certainly is a consumer transaction. By denying the sharing of information, you create and enforce a certain master/child relationship, but it’s nothing that’s necessarily inherent to the interaction. It is what you make it.

]]> By: Dr. Valhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87889 Dr. Val Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:55:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/11/can-patients-truly-be-consumers.html#comment-87889 This post speaks to the issue of whether democratizing knowledge can democratize expertise. I blogged about this recently at Science Based Medicine: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=267<br/><br/>Important to discuss! :) This post speaks to the issue of whether democratizing knowledge can democratize expertise. I blogged about this recently at Science Based Medicine: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=267

Important to discuss! :)

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